Another Eternity
by ScatterKitteh
Summary: A demon she met randomly who overtook her immediately, made her crave being with him as she never had anyone else before. There's a catch to him though...and Rin will need all of her strength to understand it. (50ShadesSesshRin)
1. Chapter 1: Heartsigh

AN: Why hello there! Here's the illegitimate child birthed while ReBirth is being rescued. It's a very loose unplanned semi-kinda-one-shot with multiple chapters (sort of like what ReBirth started as, if you couldn't tell by all the rewriting XP) . It's a highly overused basis, but the album just hit me right and wouldn't go away, so here's what happens when you wish Sesshomaru and Rin were in a consenting Sub/Dom relationship with some hearkening to 50 Shades of Grey, and Purity Ring's gorgeous second album Another Eternity had been the theme music for it. So yes, just putting it out there, strong S+M themes eventually, and many lemons, definitely will deserve the rating.

DISCLAIMER: Seeing as how some scenes/dialogues/situations are slightly reminiscent to 50 Shades of Grey by EL James, I do not own it, please buy the books/audiobooks. The title, any lyrics used and chapter names all belong directly to the band Purity Ring off of their album Another Eternity, buy the album. Also, duh, any and all material that is not from the above listed sources is NOT MINE AT ALL but instead belongs to the Inuyasha "franchise" (correct wording?) and the author Rumiko Takahashi, and all others that have given her money for the intellectual property etc. Man, really hope I covered everything, so scared of being sued r/n guys, can't lie O.o (Of course I'm not making a profit, so there's no reason for it, but credit will always be due...)

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**Another Eternity**

**Chapter One:**

**Heartsigh**

"_Whisper, whimper on I won't forget to close your eyes for you I'll sing before you lie down _

_And push your sleep along I'll sink below the ground _

_Find the weeping, wailing calls you echo _

_And I'll build a house around you _

_Stir a moat until you drown, down _

_I'll whisk away your heart sigh and bury it in mine _

_I'll whisk away your heart sigh and bury it in mine"_

It was a damp night, and Rin Kimura found she just couldn't stop shivering. It was a heavy May evening and the air felt chill forcing her to keep arms wrapped around her torso in a loose embrace. Her warm chestnut eyes glanced over to her cheery companion keeping pace at her side, her friend Kagome Higurashi. She did not seem to be feeling the cold in the same way Rin was, but then again, she seemed like she wasn't too aware of anything at the moment. As Rin briefly wondered how she was freezing and her friend was not, Kagome caught her eye and smiled thankfully. "It should just be down this next street, thanks again for agreeing to do this Rin." They were making their way through the lower-downtown area around seven at night, on their way to a dinner. Specifically a kind of dinner where Kagome would be introducing her to her new boyfriend.. She gave Kagome a half-hearted smile in return.

"Of course. I'm interested to meet this guy. You kept him a secret for almost three months, he must be special." The other girl colored lightly, and she waved her hand dismissively. "In a manner of speaking. I just couldn't trust Sango to react properly, she's kind of a a wild card sometimes y'know? About certain things anyways." "Mhmm. She's definitely kind of excitable at times." Rin agreed, nodding in solemn agreement. Kagome snorted lightly. "'_Excitable_'? That's one word for it. This guy is just...different somehow. I have a hard time explaining it, even to myself. I think I just want a second opinion honestly. An unbiased opinion." Kagome had come clean to Rin about him just yesterday, extending the invitation at the same time.

She had been nervous when she had asked her, which had surprised Rin greatly as well. Kagome had always seemed to sure of herself, so level-headed. The girl had practically stuttered when asking. Rin had been slightly hesitant to accept initially. She had known Kagome for close to a year, and she felt close to the girl, but Rin had assumed she would ask Sango Amano before she asked her. She was Kagome's oldest friend as far as Rin knew, and was the core of the small group of friends that had formed around their relationship with each other. This small group also comprised all of Rin's current acquaintances; she had only moved into the city two years ago to attend university there when she had switched her major.

Rin sighed as she contemplated the implications of this invitation, and moved through the crowd keeping pace with Kagome. The confident girl clearly knew where they were going as she turned off from the populated center and moved down a less-populated side street. She was not happy to be shouldering this responsibility, nor was she happy about having dinner alone with a couple despite her being humbled by the intimacy of Kagome's request. Judging from her friend's gleeful half-trot as they made their way deeper downtown, Kagome was clearly excited about the encounter.

Seeing as how Rin had just been forcefully removed from relationship with only her second ever boyfriend, the idea of sitting in a romantic restaurant with her best friend and her best friend's squeeze was somehow not cheering her up. It had only happened just that morning, and she suspected she was still in shock. Two months of her life just gone, in a puff of figurative anticlimactic smoke.

"I'm really honored Kagome. I'm sorry I'm not as excited as you are right now, I'm just struggling a little with the concept of spending my evening watching a successful relationship." Rin responded, a tinge of sulk in her tone. She felt bad instantly as Kagome turned back to her, looking guilty. "I am _so _sorry about the timing of this. We can still cancel, he's really laid-back, he won't mind. We could go back to your place, dig into some cake, watch a horror movie maybe one of your favorites?" Rin cursed to herself. She knew this wasn't Kagome's fault, the girl had asked before the break-up and after Rin hadn't filled her in until she had met her at her apartment. Kagome immediately apologized profusely and offered to cancel...but Rin had felt the pressure of the significance of Kagome asking her and not Sango and had felt it mandatory to insist on keeping the date. Of course, she could still privately sulk if she so wished, she just swore to do her best not to let it show.

She shook her head as Kagome watched her with wide, worried eyes and did her best to smile as convincingly as she could, truly meaning it. "No, no, it's completely fine 'Gome. I know how important this is for you, I want to be there for it, really." Kagome gave her a skeptical look, so Rin switched gears quickly. "Besides," she continued "I'm wondering if he's as cute as you've said he is." She winked cajolingly to distract her, and it worked. Kagome flushed, and her eyes moved away from Rin, desperate to not show how flustered she clearly was. "W-Well anyways, we're almost there. It's some new place, just opened. I guess it's pretty exclusive." Rin smiled slightly to herself as Kagome began rambling about the restaurant and the reviews it had received, obviously trying to distract Rin from further talk of Inuyasha. Rin continued to follow her, but her mind began to wander onto her own troubles.

This week was exam week, and she was in a critical year for her degree. This was her junior year and if she didn't nail at least four of the tests with a well-above-average score, she would be in danger of losing her scholarship and her place in her program. And, just this morning, her boyfriend of two months had informed her he no longer felt they were "right for each other". She wasn't really heart-broken by his statement to be honest. She had felt they had been growing apart for a weeks now, and she had the feeling her constant deterring of his physical affections was more than a bit frustrating for him.

Then again, she began rationalizing as she focused back onto her still-rambling friend, it was much more likely that seeing Kagome, who normally kept herself closed and reserved, with someone she cared for romantically could give her some hope. Sango was flirtatious, and Kagome was limited in her dealings with the opposite sex. If Sango could be in a happy relationship, and Kagome could too there had to be someone perfect for her right? She was twenty-three now, and had only had two relationships in her entire life. Her early years had been dominated by losing her parents and being adopted by Kaede Kimura, an elder barren woman who had raised Rin with love and support. As a result there were a lot of other things in her life for awhile that had kept her distracted from boys throughout most of her schooling, until high school at least. And by then she had been branded as the "poor orphan girl" so she had always feared boys would only date her out of pity for her and her traumatic circumstances. Senior year she had dated another boy in her class for two weeks.

He had ended it when she had refused to kiss him on their second date. She had been hurt, but focused on school and her passion for history and demon studies instead, and just a few months ago she had met Kaito. He was sweet, and cute and funny, and Rin had been excited and happy when he had asked her out. They hadn't spent much time together, he being an acquaintance of Sango's long-term booty-call (as she so begrudgingly called her on-again-off-again relationship) with Miroku, and after two months of hand-holding, a few heated kisses occasionally, he called to tell her with finality he felt they had "drifted apart" and that "this was clearly going nowhere". Rin _had_ been thinking of sleeping with him, just to get it over with, and to hopefully abate his frustration with her. She had sensed it more and more in the last few weeks as well.

At this point, she was beginning to feel like a freak of nature. Now, of course, she was glad she hadn't. She knew she would have regretted being with someone the first time knowing that he was just as content to end it. At least she found out before making the mistake instead of after when she would be forced to live with the regret, instead of unknowingly dodging it. "-It should be just up ahead-" Rin snapped back to the present as she almost bumped into Kagome's back. The girl had stopped to observe the street signs at an intersection, and Rin had almost crashed right into her.

Kagome frowned as she noticed her distraction. She smiled brightly and grabbed Rin's hand. "Come on Rin, perk up! We're going to get a fancy dinner, on the house may I add, and spend the night in a trendy restaurant! Besides-" she released Rin's hand and crossed her arms across her chest, dramatically before continuing: "-that idiot had no idea what he was doing. He's clearly a total imbecile, and not worth your thoughts or time." Rin smiled falteringly in response and Kagome sobered and continued in a small, soft voice. "And...like you said, this really does mean a lot to me…" Rin was again shocked by Kagome's change in behavior over this guy. She had to do this for her, and she was glad she had come along. Her curiosity was now officially peaked as well to meet the man who could make Kagome blush and become so timid. Rin grinned cheekily at her friend's demure behavior.

Kagome Higurashi was the most put-together person Rin had probably ever known. One year her senior, they had met when Rin had transferred into the program her Sophomore year, and Kagome had swept Rin under her wing almost immediately. Rin preferred to keep to herself most of her life, never really making "close" friends, but Kagome had come with a veritable gang of friends that Rin was quickly adopted into. Kagome had been her cynic and her voice of wisdom for a year now and this meek, shy personality was one she could have never even imagined Kagome could be capable of. She was always so bold, so fiery.

"I can't lie, I'm very curious to meet this mystery man. Who could possibly make the bold Kagome Higurashi so meek?" Rin smirked, seeing Kagome's eyes blaze at this. She turned away from Rin, choosing not to take her bait for the time being. Kagome came to a stop a moment later and turned towards a dimly-lit storefront. "Here we are!" She said cheerfully, motioning to the blackened windows in front of her. Rin eyed the darkly-tinted windows and intricate outdoor lighting ruefully. She took in her and Kagome's reflections in the large windows, and felt she was lacking slightly in light of the clear formality of the establishment.

Rin was shorter than Kagome, a hair above petite. Kagome, who was curvy and leggy, made her feel like a flat, formeless board next to her voluptuous friend. She was now glad she had chosen something slightly-classy to wear, one of her favorite dresses. Kagome wore a sleek black dress, clingy in all the right places, while managing effortlessly to not be too revealing. Rin had chosen a black dress as well, with a white flower print around the skirt's hem that fanned around her knees. She had done her makeup to the best of her abilities, managing a nice clean look that accentuated the gold flecks in her eyes. Her lips were done as well, and her hair was curled so it lay on her shoulders softly. Kagome had called her elegant, Rin had felt like an inarticulate mess. If she was so "elegant" why had Kaito dropped her like a hot potato?

Rejected by a boy she had assumed would be her introduction into intimacy she had been curious about since her teens, there was no way she could look as nice as Kagome could. The girl was gorgeous with her silky hair wrapped in a high-bun on her head, her lush lips, her alluring eyes. Rin eyed her face more closely, checking for any flaws in her make-up. She was not used to having to look presentable. If she were being objective, she might be able to concede how her eyes would look large and alluring like Kagome's did, in her small, sprite-like face. Or maybe how her lips looked soft and enticing with the light pink gloss that matched her what-could-be-delicate cheekbones with their natural color. Her lashes were long, Sango had pointed this out to her one night while helping her apply make-up, and this was attractive apparently. Then there was her nose. She had always been fond of her nose in particular. She had her father's nose, and the rest of her belonged to her mother. She frowned as she noticed the curvature at its bridge. It had been broken in the accident, and the scar on the bridge still remained. Rin sighed, moping again and losing the fun of taunting her normally-unshakeable friend just a moment ago. Kagome opened the door and motioned her inside. This dinner was going to suck.

The restaurant was just as dim inside as it looked outside. Small candles on the table provided the majority of the light, along with sconces every few feet on the walls. The inside was even more elegantly-designed than the outside. It was crowded and most of the people inside, Rin noticed as she looked around, made her shiver instinctively. They _all_ looked like demons. She glanced hesitantly over to Kagome who was addressing the hostess, a young blonde distinctly-human girl. The girl nodded and motioned for them to follow her. They were led through the other diners (Rin noticed they were eyeing the two of them, interested), finally coming to a large table with a crisp white tablecloth. Kagome took a seat and Rin followed thanking the girl as she handed them two menus. Kagome was still smiling happily, and seemed unaffected by their surroundings.

"'Gome...why did you pick this place?" Rin whispered from behind her menu. "I didn't, Inuyasha did." she answered, still cheery. "Oh, um... I think this is a restaurant for demons only-" "Inuyasha! Over here!" Kagome stood up and waved to a man entering the restaurant, cutting Rin off. Rin felt her face redden as the other diners watched her incredulously. Then Rin saw Inuyasha and the restaurant gained some context. He was a dog demon! He was only slightly taller than Kagome, with impish features and long waist-length hair the color of spider's silk. He had it pulled back into a loose ponytail, and was dressed casually in a pair of loose slacks and a black sweater. His eyes were a tawny gold, and they lit up when they focused on Kagome. There were two ears on the top of his head that gave him away as a demon immediately and they twitched forward as he made his way towards them.

He approached the table, smirking at Kagome. Rin could see his fangs. "Hey, sorry we're late." He apologized and kissed Kagome's cheek. "What do you mean "we"?" Kagome asked, her eyes sharpening. "Oh, yeah, sorry, I guess I forgot to mention, my half-brother will be joining us tonight. He's in town for business, and insisted on meeting you." His voice was light and relaxed, but he spoke quickly as he revealed his mystery guest to an obviously freaking out Kagome. "M-Meeting me? Why?" Kagome stuttered, looking startled. Inuyasha was clearly unsure of how to answer this question; his ears flattened to the side of his head, and his tanned skin flushed lightly. He mumbled: "Well, you know, I don't normally date girls this long, and he said he was curious so…" he trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "Besides, you said Rin was like family to you, I didn't want to show up a family member short!" he defended and Kagome's cheeks flushed angry red at this, as Rin patted her shoulder sympathetically. She knew that Kagome, _overly-organized Kagome_, was not taking this well, and she radiated with this disturbance.

"Fine. But next time give me some warning idiot!" And she thwacked him on the side of the head. Rin gasped, expecting anger from Inuyasha at her semi-dramatic outburst, but he simply glowered at her and rubbed his skull, mumbling what sounded like an apology. Rin felt that had earned him a point. He had encountered Kagome's rage before and knew better than to fight it. His tawny eyes landed on Rin and he smiled brightly, fangs fully exposed. "How rude of me, you must be Rin, am I right?" He held out his hand to her, looking extremely pleased to meet her. '_Another point._' Rin added in her head. "You guessed it. It's very nice to meet you." She took his hand easily and gave him a kind smile in return. He shook it lightly and daintily as Rin included a formal bow with her greeting. "You're so polite." he took a seat, holding Kagome's hand. "My brother will like that. He can be kind of...well, standoffish at times." He frowned slightly, and his eyes became distant.

As he continued, he seemed to be talking more to himself than to them. "He's not really good with humans, or anyone really. Just don't take it personally. Cute little thing like you, he'd love to take a whack at you, I'm sure." Inuyasha grinned and gave Rin a cheekish wink as Kagome gave him another light thwack. "It hasn't even been five minutes and I'm already needing to apologize for you!" she hissed. Inuyasha placed a hand on the back of his head, looking sheepish. Kagome's eyes looked worried as she added softly: "Should I be worried about meeting him?" Inuyasha's eyes softened as he gazed at her. "You're perfect, you don't need to worry about a thing. Besides, I warned him to behave or I'd kick his ass." He grinned cockily and the tips of his fangs poked out from behind his lips.

He glanced back to Rin and smiled warmly at her. "I'm just messing with you anyways, he's basically a block of ice. Just...don't take it personally, really." Kagome inhaled sharply, and hissed: "Lay off of Rin, and tell me everything I need to know before he gets here!" Inuyasha laughed loudly and continued to reassure her.

Rin looked around Inuyasha's head, politely missing him handling Kagome's freak out. As she let her eyes travel across the restaurant one end to the other, her eyes reached the doorway and she froze instantly. There was a man standing in the doorway, his eyes scanning across the room. He was tall and muscular, his body sleek in a crisp black suit. His features were strong and regal, she dared to say beautiful even, and his hair was a shade lighter than Inuyasha's the color of moonbeams on a bright night. It was longer too, falling to his thighs. It hung gracefully around him, and his bangs framed his sharp cheekbones perfectly. She thought if she touched those cheeks they may slice her fingertips. She instantly wanted to. An aura of fierceness seemed to radiate from him, and she felt caught by it even at such a distance.

His eyes found hers while she openly gaped at him and as their eyes met the breath left her lungs as if she had been punched. His eyes were liquid gold, and they glittered mysteriously in the candle-light around them. She had never seen anything so warm in her entire life. As she continued to stare into them, she swore they widened slightly as a streak of crimson flashed through them. '_Is that his half-brother?!_' Rin thought wildly as he began advancing towards their table.

He moved elegantly and with purpose. She had an odd thought that she could just watch him move forever. The thought was so bizarre, like her want to stroke his face, she shook her head slightly to keep it from overtaking her. His eyes were still focused on her, as he advanced. They reflected off of the candlelight passionately still, and Rin felt the need to gasp for the air they had stolen from her.

"Hey, there you are!" Inuyasha's loud voice ringing out woke Rin enough to realize how obvious she was staring at this man, and her face instantly flushed as she intentionally looked away swiftly. She could feel his eyes on her still and it made her skin warm as if he were touching her from across the room. He had reached their table and Inuyasha stood, introducing him. "This is my half-brother Sesshomaru Taisho. Sesshomaru this is Kagome Higurashi, my girlfriend, and her friend Rin Kimura." Inuyasha motioned to both of them, and Kagome stood to shake Sesshomaru's hand. He took her hand lightly and gave it a gentle kiss instead of shaking it, after nodding to her in greeting. Kagome pulled her hand away, clasping it tightly to her chest and Inuyasha snorted.

"All of a sudden you're Mr. Manners, huh?" He mocked, crossing his arms across his chest. Sesshomaru glanced at him dismissively, and retorted: "You say this because I can conduct myself properly in the presence of beautiful women, unlike yourself who at your age still continues to be a social menace?" His voice was airy, yet deep and Rin felt it shift through her core. Kagome laughed lightly, Rin held in her laughter for Inuyasha's sake, and Inuyasha fumed openly.

Rin dared to look at him directly, as an awkward silence fell after he introduced himself to Kagome. "Rin, it is a pleasure to meet you." His voice was so smooth and rich, she felt her heart fluttering madly in her chest as it swept over her once more. She looked up and caught his eyes again. They were almost boring into her, and it felt like they were seeing down into the deepest parts of her while she put up no resistance at all. She was more than a little unnerved by this.

"It's nice to meet you as well Sesshomaru Taisho." Her voice came out soft, almost trembling, and she held out her slightly-shaking hand. He took it in his own, bent over the table, and his lips pressed to her knuckles. It was the briefest of moments, but everything in Rin lit up. He released her hand, and she pulled it to her side, holding it close and averted her eyes from him. He sat across from her, and there was silence for a moment. "Um, okay...so, do we want an appetizer?" Inuyasha supplied, looking to Kagome. Kagome's eyes were narrowed, watching Rin, but she looked to him and picked up his hint immediately. "Sure, what's good here?" She supplied, breaking the tense moment that had followed Sesshomaru taking his seat.

Rin's head was spinning as she used their conversation to open her menu and attempt to hide behind it. '_What is _wrong _with me, I've never felt this way before!_' Rin screamed to herself, her mind scrambling to understand her body's irresponsible actions. The signals from her brain to her body felt discombobulated, jumbled, confused. As she eyed the menu the conversation continued. Inuyasha and Kagome signaled a server and ordered something (Rin didn't bother catching what) and Sesshomaru began asking Kagome short yet interested questions about herself. He was so polite as he asked her about her major and her interests. Rin listened, but Kagome and Inuyasha's voices conjointly giving answers sounded like static compared to his purr. That was completely clear over the chaos of her thoughts. Every word he said, and every emphasis of them.

She took a few deep breaths and realized she couldn't hide behind this menu forever. She lowered it slowly, and tried not to look too closely at him as she emerged from behind her would-be barrier. He was no longer watching her, but was instead keeping his eyes focused on Kagome as he asked her his questions. He seemed to be completely focused on what she had to say, and Kagome spoke animatedly in response. Rin noticed that there was an almost cold set to his features, and she wondered what that could possibly mean about his character. She tried to push those dramatic thoughts away as the appetizer arrived moments later.

They were small sweet potato cakes with grilled vegetable filling and Rin took this as an excuse to stuff a few in her mouth and not be expected to speak. Maybe she could get away with this for the rest of the meal. She was not certain what would happen if he tried to question her, or even if his eyes fell onto her again. She might tremble to pieces for all she knew. The conversation stopped for a few minutes as everyone except Rin took samples of the cakes, commenting on the flavor or texture, or quality in Sesshomaru's case, and then taking more. Thus, the dinner commenced.

...

Kagome and Inuyasha were trying really hard, she would give them that. She knew Kagome had seen her figuratively drooling over Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha seemed to have caught on to the awkwardness in their first meeting. The two had been jumping to fill any and every silence at the table determinedly before the dinners arrived and after the appetizer and all related comments had been eaten they had kept the silence at bay. They made a good team, she had to admit. Sesshomaru continued to be the image of polite curiosity about their relationship, engaging them easily with queries about their budding relationship. He managed to keep interest, while still appearing distant. It was a practiced routine, she could tell.

Rin stayed quiet, balancing between nodding and small murmuring agreement when appropriate, and laughing lightly when necessary. Sesshomaru had not looked to her again since being seated. She desperately craved for his gaze on her again, while at the same time being terrified of how she might react to his attention.

Rin decided about half-way through the appetizers that she liked Inuyasha, very much. He doted on Kagome, who looked at him as if he were the only man to have ever lived. They were clearly in love, and it was seemed mostly permanent. She never would have expected to know anyone that wasn't a demon to have dated a demon; it wasn't exactly frowned upon, but they tended to stick to their own. Almost resolutely. So hence establishments like this one, and the open curiosity at Kagome's and Rin's presence there. She actually noticed now, since Sesshomaru arrived, no one seemed to be looking at them any more.

Which only brought her mind back to the god-like creature next to her. He was breathtaking and gorgeous and sexy all wrapped into one package. He had a indigo crescent moon marking on his forehead, and his movements were far too graceful for human standards. Plus, there was that flash of red she had seen so briefly in his eyes when he had first entered. That was definitely not human.

"So what are you studying Rin?" Inuyasha asked as their dinners were brought by the quiet human server. Rin held back her cringe at finally being brought into the conversation fully. '_Damn! I've been spotted! Oh well, he's just being a good boyfriend, may as well help him out._' She thought to herself reluctantly, but knowing she needed to be Kagome's support. She answered him quickly, her voice surprising her in its steadiness: "I'm, um, a Demon History major right now." Inuyasha looked impressed. "Interesting. You know, my brother and I grew up during the feudal era." Rin looked to Sesshomaru, her face lighting up in excitement. Ignoring, for a moment, that she was both glad and slightly horrified to have a reason to look at him without needing to hide. He was watching her as well, but his eyes were no longer probing. The mild interested expression he had given to Kagome, the one she suspected he was so-well practiced in, displayed instead.

She tried to hold back an instant need to interrogate the two brothers thoroughly. There were very few demons left from the feudal era; it had been a brutal time for their kind and those who had survived had become hermits long ago, distrusting the human race in its entirety. It was, in fact, her main area of study currently. She was instantly plagued with fear at how to keep herself in check in light of this newfound information. Her history nerd won in the end, and she lit up in excitement after an impulsive decision to throw caution to the wind. "Really?!" she cried, clasping her hands together and glancing excitedly between the two half-brothers. "I just took a feudal-focused history course last semester, and the teacher was obsessed with the feudal era! It actually inspired me to focus on post-feudal era human-demon relations! Could I maybe ask either of you a few questions some time about your experiences through time? I find it so fascinating, and so few ancient demons are left, much less willing to discuss their pasts!" Rin gushed, looking hopefully at a cockily-grinning Inuyasha and his half-brother, who was still focused on her.

As Rin met those dazzling eyes again she saw a quick flash of the crimson from earlier, and for a moment the cold countenance fell away. His face was open to her suddenly, and he appeared to be all fire and passion. Rin was instantly struck dumb by the fault in his facade. Luckily, Inuyasha did not seem to notice as he leaned back in his chair, amused by Rin's small outburst of curiosity. "Well sure, I wouldn't mind at all! How about you, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha turned his self-satisfied grin on his brother. As Inuyasha addressed him, the curtain fell over him seamlessly, and he was again distanced from her. He gave his brother a stern glance. Rin wilted, thinking she may have offended him. There were a lot of theories that era is what had spurred human-demon conflict to this day, and she had just thrown a figurative live grenade by digging into it.

"I don't enjoy speaking on the past much." His voice was cold and final, and Rin tried not to look too upset by his answer. The history nerd in her had reared its head way too early, and now she felt she had made an obvious faux pas. "Rin's a huge history freak. Don't get her started on the feudal era, she'll never shut up." Kagome supplied happily to Sesshomaru's flat rejection. Rin felt herself blushing, but Inuyasha laughed and began asking her questions about her courses all the same as they all continued to eat. Sesshomaru remained quiet while Inuyasha did his best to not speak with his mouth full as he traded questions with Rin.

Rin felt incredibly conscious of all of her eating behaviors, more so than she ever had. She also tried to keep sync with Inuyasha's questions, while utilizing her limited knowledge of table manners. Kagome was eating as well, dainty as ever, and Rin was immediately jealous of the ease with which she was able to appear so feminine while chewing her chicken and also keeping a seamless part in her and Inuyasha's conversation about their respective current studies.

Come to find out he was in the business program with Kagome, taking it mostly on a lark, and that's how they had met. Rin eyes kept straying towards Sesshomaru throughout. He was completely captivating even when performing normal behaviors like eating or drinking. Somehow, when he did it, it was invigorating. "So you're seeing someone, right Rin?-Oof!" Inuyasha had asked between bites, and Kagome had clearly elbowed him in the side under the table, giving Rin an apologetic look. Rin gave her a small smile, and nodded. "It's okay 'Gome. Yeah, I was seeing someone up until this morning actually. He decided today that we weren't "going anywhere" and we're no longer seeing each other." She tried to infuse her voice with as little emotion as possible, but her eyes began to sting slightly as she felt reluctant tears forming. She took a moment to pat her lips with her napkin, blinking furiously to keep them from spilling over. It was still pretty fresh she supposed, and maybe she wasn't as numb to it as she had initially thought.

Inuyasha grimaced as she answered and Kagome shook her head, looking exasperated at her boyfriend's tactlessness. "Sorry Rin, I didn't know-" Inuyasha immediately apologized, sincerity in his tone. "No, no, it's fine." She waved her hand dismissively, cutting off his unneeded apology, as she regained her control over her tears. "You didn't know, I had asked Kagome to keep it quiet. I didn't want to ruin the evening. I'll be fine, really." "Clearly, he made an incredibly stupid decision letting you go. You should not waste your time mourning such a worthless boy." Everyone at the table turned to look at Sesshomaru as he spoke for the first time since shutting down Rin's request. His tone was a bit rough, and Rin swore she heard something like anger in it. He was looking at her again, for the first time since she and Inuyasha had begun speaking. His expression was serious and cold, but his eyes were glowing with a wildfire that Rin was sure would engulf her if she kept contact with them. She found she had to look away blushing deeply, slightly ashamed of herself.

She had never reacted to a male this way before, it was all so surprising and new and intense. "Yeah, he wasn't too great near the end I suppose." she mumbled back, feeling the need to break the slightly tense silence. Kagome and Inuyasha were watching him closely, Kagome like a weary hawk and Inuyasha with a glitter of amusement. "Well, yes, he never deserved you I suppose." Kagome answered stiffly, attempting to navigate away from the oddly impassioned response from Sesshomaru. She took another bite and Inuyasha followed suit, wisely choosing to let her handle it.

They finished their meal in a somewhat comfortable silence after that, and as the server brought the the dessert menu they all ordered something from it. Rin only ordered something because everyone else had, her stomach was spinning far too quickly for her to actually be hungry. She had picked at her food, attempting to look as if she were eating it. She was still feeling embarrassed by her rude intrusion of asking about their past, and still confused by Sesshomaru's intense response to her breakup. It certainly did not fit in with the personality he had so far presented. Dessert arrived, and Rin spoke up as Inuyasha and Kagome took turns tasting each other's pastries. "So, um, Sesshomaru, what do you do?" Sesshomaru's eyes glanced over his fork, halfway to his mouth, and he responded simply. "I head one of the leading demon-advocate law firms in the country." Rin felt her eyebrow cock in response to the almost haughty tone to his voice. He took his bite, and she glanced away so as to not drool over the tines of the fork as they slipped between his lips.

"Wow, that sounds really rewarding." She could hear the slight sarcasm in her own tone, finally able to get a purchase on him. "Yes, it can be." "Mhmm...I suppose that would make sense for a demon of your longevity. Of course, only specializing in demon-centered cases could make one think that someone in that line of work might be more inclined to support all of the separation struggles humans and demons still face." She spoke blithely as she took a casual bite of her tiramisu. She glanced up at him, and was surprised to see him watching her still. For a moment, she feared she had overstepped a boundary. His face was closed, his lips in a thin straight line, and his eyes were shuttered.

Then, his lips twitched, and one corner curled up in a smirk. "Well, I could understand how one might perceive that. It seems you have me pegged Miss Kimura. I hope my profession does not pigeonhole me into being some kind of classist." Rin felt courage at his clearly bemused response. Her pulse rushed, and her bravery increased as she responded, voice almost coy: "Please you can just call me Rin. I wouldn't imagine you could be pigeonholed unless of course you were also superbly rich and egotistical. Then, I might say, one could possibly be confused for some sort of elitist." His smirk widened slightly, and she could see his canines were elongated as well, similar to Inuyasha's but more pronounced.

She had a sudden and unbidden thought of what those teeth would feel like grazing over her skin. The image this elicited made her blood run warm. His eyes were glittering now, and he made no motion to respond to this as Inuyasha burst out laughing. "Oh man, you _nailed_ him on the head! You're a keeper Rin, I'm so happy Kagome brought you along, we're going to get on just fine." He continued laughing, as Rin finally broke eye contact with Sesshomaru, and smiled shyly. She was spared having to respond as the server returned with the check. Sesshomaru held his hand out swiftly, and the server placed it in his hand and bowed as he moved away. Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at him and held his hand out clearing his throat. "I'll take care of that." Sesshomaru ignored him and slipped a card into the padded holder. "It's the least I can do for a delightful evening brother." "Well, I suppose it might counter the circulating idea you're elitist." Inuyasha countered, folding his arms across his chest. Sesshomaru growled at him warningly, and Rin felt electricity crackle across her skin at the primal reaction it drew from her. The server returned and took the check. When he returned Sesshomaru signed the bottom of the receipt, and handed it back to him. The speed of his movements demonstrated again his unnatural instincts. The server nodded to all of them and wished them a good night and Sesshomaru stood, sliding his chair back in behind him.

Inuyasha stood as well, holding his hand out to Kagome as he helped her up and tucked her chair back in once she vacated it. Rin felt slightly awkward as she stood and straightened her skirt. She followed them out of the restaurant, and as they exited onto the sidewalk, Sesshomaru turned to Inuyasha. "Will you be needing a ride home brother?" he asked, and Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah. Gonna walk the ladies home, you know, make sure they're safe." Kagome huffed, and gave him a faux glare. "Right, because we're incapable of making it home on our own. I wonder how we got here all by ourselves." Inuyasha smiled and had the decency to look slightly abashed. "Yeah, besides I'd like to get to know Rin better." Inuyasha continued, his eyes darting to his brother. "You know, she's important to you Kagome, and spending some more time with her will give me an opportunity to learn more about you."

He slid over to Rin and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Besides, she's just cute as a button." He poked her nose gently. Rin squeaked, completely shocked by Inuyasha's suddenly forward behavior. There was a low growl, and Rin was jerked forward slightly as Sesshomaru tugged his brother off of her by his shirt collar. "You still have a lot to learn about keeping your hands to yourself brother." His voice was low and dangerous, and as Rin glanced at him, she was surprised to see the obvious anger in his eyes and face. "I apologize for him, and can guarantee he will behave on his walk." He was speaking directly ro Rin now, who felt a bit awkward. She hadn't really found it offensive, or even invasive, but apparently Sesshomaru had somehow.

Inuyasha shrugged non-commitaly and pulled himself from his brother's grasp. Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and bowed formally. "It was a pleasure meeting you Kagome, but I must take my leave unfortunately. I still have a bit of work to do. You seem to be able to keep my brother in check. Which is exactly what he needs." Sesshomaru shot a glare to Inuyasha who made a "feh" noise as he moved away and grabbed Kagome, giving her a smooth kiss. Rin looked away from them, blushing slightly at Inuyasha's forwardness.

Sesshomaru took a step towards her, instantly very close, and clearly invading her personal space, which he had just wanted to defend a moment before. Rin stood her ground, looking up at him through her lashes. His piercing eyes were looking down on her, and they reflected the street lights in a dashing way. "It was nice meeting you too, Rin." His voice was purring at her, and it made her heart thump. "It was very nice to meet you as well. Thank you for dinner." She looked away from him, but she knew he was still watching her. "Yes, well, it's not often I get to buy dinner for a gorgeous woman. One must take advantage of such situations as often as possible." Rin felt her face heating. He thought _she_ was gorgeous? Against her better judgement she looked at him, having to tilt her head upwards slightly to meet his eyes. She was surprised to see them crinkled slightly, and his lips were tilted in a small smirk again. She saw a bit more resemblance to Inuyasha in him suddenly.

She felt a fire kindle in the pit of her stomach as she answered boldly: "I have a hard time believing that." The words just came out, and she was taken aback to hear the wryness in her voice. He cocked an eyebrow slightly, and she saw his smile widen slightly. "What makes you say that?" his voice sounded as smug as his smile.

Rin kept his gaze, feeling the boldness emerging from her easily. "Well, successful job, nice suit, one might think you're more than familiar with taking out gorgeous girls." His eyes widened slightly, and she thought she may have actually caught him off guard. His initial demeanor was so confident, she hadn't thought he was the type of person to be caught off-guard by anyone. A small voice cheered in the back of her head. There was a second of silence, where Rin wondered if she had gone a step too far once again. His smile widened a bit more before he answered. He took a small step forward, and the distance between them shrunk even more. She could smell him from this distance. He wore a cologne of some type, but there was another scent beneath it. Something woody and primal. She tried not to close her eyes as she breathed him in.

He spoke and his voice was soft this time, soothing almost. "I said you were a gorgeous woman, not a girl. And funnily enough, most would chose to form their opinion of me around my demon heritage instead of my life-style choices. Your choice in how you fault my character is interesting Rin. Might there be any way I could try to change your mind?" He still looked amused, and Rin felt herself waver for a moment. "I suppose I should not be so quick to judge. What would you propose?" she asked, still intently keeping his gaze. "I was a bit harsh earlier when you expressed your interest in the feudal era. What if I were to give you an interview? The feudal era from a demon's perspective." The idea instantly wiped away her newly discovered sass, and she felt herself brighten immediately. The history geek reigned supreme now.

"Oh my goodness, that would be amazing! There's so few accounts of demon-based information on that era, and no one seems to want to talk about it! Yes, please, that would be so helpful for my research!" She gushed at him, leaning in as she became more excited. "Well, I'd be happy to help you with something like that. I'll have a free lunch-hour next Wednesday. How does noon sound?" "That would be great!" Rin nodded happily, clutching her hands together in front of her mouth. "Here's my card-" He handed her a cream-colored business card that Rin took eagerly. "-make sure you let them know who you're meeting with at the lobby desk." Rin slipped the card into her small bag, making sure it fit into the pocket sewn into the side. "Of course, thank you so much again!" Rin looked back up to him as she closed her purse.

His smile was still there, but this time it reached his eyes, and she had thought he couldn't look any more handsome, but the unexpected kindness of his smile proved her wrong. "It's my pleasure. I'll have enough time to find the best way of defending my character." Rin cursed herself as she felt her cheeks flush darkly, and she felt her mouth dry up. "Ready, Rin?" Kagome called, drawing her attention away from him and her inability to reply. "O-Oh yes, I'm ready." She glanced back at him, and he nodded slightly to her. "Have a nice night Rin. I look forward to our interview." She swore she saw his eyes travel down her body slowly, and she began trembling under his scrutiny. "Y-Yes, I'll see you Wednesday." She nodded back, and using all of her will, turned away from him and back to Kagome, who was looking between the two of them smugly.

Sesshomaru bid goodbye to Kagome as Inuyasha called out to him as he headed down and around the corner to the small parking lot on the side of the building: "I owe you a dinner, you're not escaping this time!" Sesshomaru waved a hand over his shoulder, and kept walking.

Inuyasha then turned on Rin and grinned. "You must be magic or something, I've never seen him so worked up." Kagome snorted and crossed her arms. "_That_ was worked up? The man's a cold fish." Inuyasha laughed and put his arm around her. "Nah, believe it or not he _never_ smiles, much less _flirts_. Come on Rin, tell me how you did it!" He and Kagome began walking, and Rin walked next to Kagome, her head spinning. "I don't know…" she murmured. Kagome punched her arm lightly. "Well, you've got a date with him on Wednesday, you better bring it!" she laughed. Rin blanched. '_I'm in so much trouble…_' she thought dismally.

* * *

**AN:** Oh boy, here we go again. So, I'm just waiting on my friend to get back to me on the status of destroyed computer. I doubt enough damage was done to not allow for ReBirth to be rescued, but fingers crossed just in case. On a side note too, I took _quite_ a few liberties with Sesshomaru's character in this, in that he will be little to nothing like he is in Rumiko's content. It's a new take for me, but I wanted to try something a little different with it. Also, 50 Shades will only loosely be involved in this, mostly I felt it was a little too similar to ignore it and not give the nod to James. Of course, any material with S+M content seems to have to nod to 50 nowadays, which is _extremely _frustrating honestly, since it was a terrible representation of the community at large. Oh well, I don't want copyright lawyers on my ass, and I shouldn't hate because I didn't think of monopolizing it first. *shrugs* As always, love to T-Bone for all his help. Okay, love you guys, see you soon!


	2. Chapter 2: Bodyache

**Chapter 2:**

**Bodyache**

**AN:** Welcome back! Chapter 2! All right. So I'm trying to get the chapters to line up with the songs thematically, but that may just be a dream. Either way, thanks to all of you gorgeous readers for taking time out of your day to read. Thank you even more to that one sweetheart who decided to follow/fave already already, mariamontes21733, this update is for you! This is always a good place I can go when things get rough, as they so often tend to. You guys only give me motivation to make this world as big as I can so to bring you into it as well. Thanks for listening *Mwah* Enjoy!

* * *

"_You sweat, and you bled_

_I couldn't look cause your body, your body would shake_

_And you feared a lonely death_

_Like a lake leaves you alone in her depths_

_Take a break, take me down, take me down there_

_I wanna stare at the tears, how they water your years_

_Take a break, take me down, take me down there_

_I wanna stare at your tears..."_

Kagome sighed, and eyed Rin pensively. "You know you don't _have_ to go, right? Sure, it's a great opportunity and publishing an article with his interview would definitely secure you a place in your program, but nobody's forcing you." Rin moaned in exasperation and buried her face in her hands. "You're really not helping." she groaned, glaring at Kagome through her hands. The other girl giggled, giving Rin a sly wink. "I can give you some tips, I questioned Inuyasha all weekend about him." Rin dropped her hands and eyed Kagome. "You told him about this?" she asked, embarrassed. Kagome shrugged, "Yeah, he gets a huge kick out of it. Apparently Sesshomaru was giving off all kinds of alarms through the whole dinner, he actually asked _me_ about it. Pillow-talk, you know." "Great, something else I have no idea about." Rin sighed, then sat back in her chair, dragging her fingers across her laptop's trackpad waking it back up.

As the screen lit up, she bit her lip then flicked her eyes back to Kagome. The girl looked ready to burst. She sighed again, then relented. "Fine. I don't see how it will help my anxiety, but I suppose it can't hurt to know a little more about the prick. Go for it." Kagome squealed happily and began speaking hurriedly, figuratively spilling her guts.

...

Rin stared at her reflection in her bathroom mirror morosely Wednesday morning. She had rolled out of bed and moved instantly into her small bathroom to get herself ready for the interview. She had spent the past two days editing and re-editing her questions and format, she even downloaded a new app for her phone to record with, seeking the best quality possible. This, compiled with Kagome's review of the man she was meeting, had made her feel much more prepared. She had slept soundly, but it had all gone out the window as soon as her eyes had popped open at the harsh clanging of her alarm.

The face staring back at her had dark circles under both too-large eyes, and her lips were chapped and slightly swollen. She must have bit them in her sleep, an old habit from childhood. She cursed and stripped quickly from her long plaid nightshirt and turned on the shower, slipping into the cubicle and shutting the door a bit too hard. It banged loudly, and she grimaced before grabbing her tea-tree-scented shampoo and lathering her hair thickly.

She went over everything in her head as she scrubbed, conditioned and shaved. Kagome had mostly given her information accessible with a simple internet search of Inutaisho Sesshomaru. There was both a lot of information, and none. He kept his private life _very_ private, rarely seen out, and if seen usually only at high-profile functions. Always alone. Rin had pushed down the odd jump her stomach gave upon noticing this. Kagome had included that Inuyasha believed he took his work too seriously to really date, and that he always seemed to project a cold, uncaring attitude. He seemed to shun most advances, and there were apparently many.

Rin had done a basic internet search on him over the weekend to compile as much information as she could. For her interview, she told herself repeatedly. He wasn't on social media, or at least not with a public profile. The press loved him though, and there was a plethora of information there. His face was plastered all over business sections and law articles. He owned a highly-acclaimed law firm, he had received his degree back in the sixties (a doctorate in law from the UK and all necessary qualifications and degrees in most first-world countries around the world) and practiced for demon-rights cases until about ten years ago. He opened his firm, and rarely was seen in court, but his firm handled some of the largest demon rights cases in the last ten years. Kagome had told her all of this while including the little that was known of his personal life, and apparently this was only known by his family, which Rin was able to confirm from a solid three hours of creeping on the internet.

"_He's never had a steady girlfriend...like EVER. Inuyasha says women just throw themselves at him and he always just turns them down. Apparently he's always been that way, since they were kids." _She had also included that he spent almost all of his time at work, and rarely spoke with anyone besides his family. His father had been pressuring him to marry for years now. Carry on the family name, and all that. He had been away for two years now, establishing a branch in North America, and had come back unexpectedly the day before they had met for dinner.

She had also included details from his past, but she had said Inuyasha had been a bit dodgy on details. There was very little historical information logged on him online, and Rin again blamed the human race for being so narrow-minded about the demon race. Kagome had known that he had been brutal back then; a demon-slaying monster that had ruled a large section of Japan, up until he disappeared shortly after his father had married Inuyasha's mother. Apparently he had taken his father mating a human as a personal offence, and had kept his distance for a few hundred years to-as Inuyasha had apparently called it-'mope'.

It had taken him awhile to resurface. When he did he kept to himself more than ever and tried his best to not be involved with his new family. Inuyasha's mother had ground him down enough in the past fifty years to actually begin to come around to dinner and take an interest in all of their lives. That's when he and Inuyasha had begun to develop a relationship, which was precarious at times, but Inuyasha said they would at least joke with each other.

Rin finished her shower and stepped out, toweling her hair and body. She then moved back into her room, eyeing the outfit she had hung on her closet door the night before. She had wanted to look nice, without seeming like she had tried. Professional, without appearing as if she was going for an employment interview. She felt she had succeeded. Most of her clothing fell into two categories: business-casual, and flowery hippie. Her wardrobe perfectly expressed both sides of her personality. Bouncy, optimistic flower-child, and professional student. Then there was her work clothes thrown in. She had a full-time job at a convenience store down the block from her apartment to try and keep up her tuition and rent costs. When her parents had passed they had left her a more-than-reasonable sum of money, but the funds would run short before her senior year so she would need some way to keep up with everything. She valued her independence more than anything, and she knew the importance of keeping ahead of her bills, which were only multiplying.

Her work clothes consisted of two worn t-shirts with _Iza Convenience_ printed across the front and a pair of ratty khaki pants. The outfit she was now surveying (for what had to have been the twentieth time since she had picked it on Saturday) fit smoothly into the "business-casual" category. Although, a bit more preppy-looking, the skirt was short, yet conservative, sitting casually below her thighs with a tan and black plaid print. It fanned slightly, with sharp pleats, and that's what had made her pick it out right away. She had picked a black sleeveless turtleneck, made of a soft comfortable cotton to go with it. It fit her form nicely, and she knew with a nice push-up bra she could accentuate her breasts nicely. That had been a bonus.

A sleek silver bangle and a set of fake-pearl earrings later and she was ready to slip into her tan open-toed flats. She took one last look at herself in the mirror and winked in an exaggerated manner, trying to cheer herself up. She looked cute, and her confidence felt firm as she dashed back into the bathroom to straighten her hair and apply some light make-up. She would just be on time if she hurried.

...

Rin tried not to gape as she entered the lobby. The Inutaisho Firm's building was large and square, with a lot of open space and large windows that let the spring sun flirt in the brightly-lit lobby. Whoever had designed it was clearly a genius. It reflected a formal appearance with a pleasant atmosphere seamlessly. Rin approached the large marble security desk shyly, and the man sitting behind it glanced up at her as she approached. '_He's cute!_' Rin found herself thinking. He must've been about her age, with light brown hair and soft brown eyes. He gave her a polite smile. "Hello, Miss. Can I help you with something?" Rin tried not to blush, and nodded. "Yes, Rin Kimura to see Sesshomaru Inutaisho?" His brow creased, and he turned to the computer next to him typing quickly. His eyes widened in surprise when he confirmed her information and he glanced at her quickly before reaching under the desk and producing a laminated badge on a lanyard.

"Okay, if you head into the red elevators on the right over there-" he pointed to the far right wall, "-push the button for the top floor, then scan this badge for access." Rin took the badge and cursed when she noticed her hand tremble slightly. "Thank you so much." she nodded politely. He looked a bit mystified, but nodded back. "No problem Miss. His is the only office on that floor, down at the end of the hallway. Just let his assistant know you're there to see him. Anything else I can help you with?" Rin shook her head a little too hard, and her hair fell into her face. She had wrestled with it a bit and managed to tame it enough to sit gleaming and straight down her back. It was normally wavy and would curl at the ends, but today she wanted to appear as together and calm as possible, hair included. She tucked the rebellious strands back behind her ear and thanked him again, before moving away to the two red-rimmed elevators across the room.

People bustled throughout the lobby, an assortment of humans and demons, she noticed. As she pressed the button, the elevator 'dinged' softly as the doors opened. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the third floor. There was a beep, and the screen above the flashed as the words: "_Please present clearance badge_" flashed across it. Rin awkwardly held the badge up to the the scanner above the screen, and with a confirming _beep_ the doors closed and the elevator began to slide upwards smoothly.

When the doors opened onto a bright hallway, Rin stepped out and made her way to the end. There were two silver doors, and she opened the left one cautiously. "Yes, come in!" Called a light voice from inside. Rin stepped inside, and was greeted by a tall blonde woman. She was seated at a long desk with a small monitor and assorted office items spread over it. She tried to hold back a gasp upon seeing the woman. She was _gorgeous_! She felt a surge of jealousy as the young girl gave Rin a dazzling smile, and immediately pushed it down. "Um, yes, Rin Kimura to see Sesshomaru?" she realized too late how informal she was using only his first name.

The girl nodded, as if she already knew, and pressed a call button on the landline next to her. Without an answer she spoke into it softly: "Rin Kimura is here to see you, sir?" She heard what could only be Sesshomaru's deep, masculine voice answer. "Send her in." The girl nodded, and motioned towards Rin to the large oaken doors across the small office. "Right through there please, Mr. Inutaisho will see you now." Rin nodded and moved across the room. As she reached the doors she gulped, then pulled it open.

His office was open and airy. It's design was similar to the ground floor, all wide spacing and bright sunlight. There was a small sitting area to her left, and in front of her was a modern-styled desk and behind it - Sesshomaru Inutaisho. He was sitting in a high-backed desk chair, his fingers steepled on his chest. He was just as dashing as she remembered, all sharp cheekbones and god-like features, and his navy-blue suit seemed to change the color of his hair to an even-lighter silver. Her breath caught for a moment and her heart sped up as she noticed his eyes fixed on her. He smiled slightly, and spoke, his voice a deep purr that succeeded in sending shivers down her spine. "Miss Kimura. It's wonderful to see you again. I trust you found the office easily enough?" Rin nodded, hair falling into her face again. She tucked it back quickly. "Yes, it's a beautiful building." she supplied lamely. "One of my half-brother's friends is an architect, he did a rather nice job. Come, let's find a seat." He stood gracefully, and moved over to the small sitting area, taking a seat on the narrow armchair just to the right of a matching loveseat.

"This should be comfortable enough. I'm assuming you have a plethora of questions for me." His smile was slightly devious this time as he motioned to the loveseat. "Please, sit. Make yourself at home." Rin had to shake herself slightly. She had not been expecting him to be so relaxed, so welcoming. The impression she had gotten from both her own research and Kagome's lurid descriptions were of a cold, distant man. The one smiling at her now had life in his eyes. She was feeling a bit like a rabbit cornered by a hungry wolf however. The look in his gleaming eyes was almost predatory in nature. Realizing she was standing in the doorway like a ghoul, she closed the door softly and scooted over to the loveseat, placing herself directly in the middle.

She did not want to get too close, but she did not want him to think she was trying to keep away from him. She saw him notice this from the corner of her eye, and his smirk widened slightly, as she pulled out her tablet from her bag and her phone. "Thank you, again, for meeting with me Mr. Inutaisho, I'll try not to take up too much of your time." He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers again and watching her resolutely. Rin was trying her best not to be flustered by his scrutiny, but it was very difficult, and she heard the tremor in her voice as she spoke. "There's no other way I would choose to spend this time. You can ask as many questions as you wish, I am yours' Miss Kimura." She froze, and her eyes flew back to his. He was clearly messing with her! She could see it in his face, and suddenly the fire in her lit up, raging against being made a fool of by this cocky jerk.

Her lips flattened, and she opened up her word document with her questions and opened the recording app. "Yes, well, my time is valuable, so I do as much as I can to not waste it." There was an edge in her voice, but she had suffused it with as much confidence as she could. "I never meant to imply your time was less valuable than mine. It seems I did not prepare myself enough to provide an adequate defense." His eyes were glittering now, and Rin blatantly ignored how her heart pounded at the molten amber in them. She wanted to be enveloped by those eyes. "Yes, well, I think one's actions speak for themselves." He cocked an eyebrow, then looked around him. "Well, hopefully this interview will bring to light some of those actions. Perhaps, I still stand a chance." Rin gave him a lurid smile, plumping her lips a bit and glancing up at him through her eyelashes over her tablet. "We'll have to see, won't we?" It may have been a trick of the light, but she swore she saw the red color his irises for a second before they were gold again. Rin cheered inwardly, knowing she had caught him off-balance, if only for a second.

She held out her phone and asked: "Is it okay if I record this? I don't want to miss any details." Sesshomaru nodded, sobering slightly. "I would expect nothing less." Rin smiled, feeling cheeky. "All right. Here we go. Let's see if you can redeem yourself." She tapped the red record button, cleared her throat slightly, and began reading from her list of questions.

...

Almost an hour and a half later, Rin tapped the record button again ending the app, and finished up some notes she had on her last query. Sesshomaru had been patient and serious, giving her every detail she had asked for and more. She had felt a bit awkward at first, but had quickly become comfortable in his presence. Once they were not toying with each other, he was very easy to talk to. She felt eased with him now, and her posture had relaxed remarkably since they had started. She had done her best to avoid anything too personal, simply trying to get a feel for his timeline in perspective.

He had lapsed into silence after answering her last question thoroughly, and as she finished tapping her last note, she beamed at him. "Seriously, I can't thank you enough, this was so amazing! To hear a first-hand account of so many significant historical events, this will really impress my department head!" Her history geek was spilling out, but she didn't really care right now. Her professors would be so impressed by this, feudal-era demons were so reserved, withdrawn, and untrusting of human scholars. This would be a breakthrough!

"You've really never given an interview on this before?" she asked him, genuinely curious. "No. Never." His voice was low and soft. ""I mean, I'm so grateful, and I don't want to sound rude or anything, but why speak to me? I mean, I'm just a student, not a field-expert." She shook her head in disbelief, scrolling up on her tablet and skimming her notes, excitement thrumming through her. She looked to him, wondering why he hadn't answered. Her breath caught, and her pulse sped up when she met his eyes. His gaze was always intense, he had kept his eyes on her through her entire questioning, but this look was new. It was intense yes, but there was something wild in his eyes this time.

He radiated a sense of control that she felt from the moment she spotted him in the doorway of the restaurant, but right now he exuded an aura of a caged beast, fed up with its confinement. And the bars around that beast appeared very thin at the moment. A forbidden tingle sparked up Rin's spine, causing her back to arch unconsciously off of the couch.

She had seen this look in other men's eyes when she had gone out dancing with Kagome and Sango and they had all "slutted-up" as Sango lovingly put it. She had seen it in Kaito's eyes when she had kissed him and she had to then spurn his advances. It was lust, but she had never had it directed at her so forcefully, and never by a being so powerful. "You are well worth it and more than deserving to share my past with, Rin." Her name slipped past his lips like a silken touch, and she swore she felt as if his fingers were slipping down her back instead of his words. She felt something in her abdomen pulling her towards him, and she had to actually push back against it, her body becoming rigid. "Um, well, I thank you for that, but I'm not sure I was the exact right choice for such crucial information." She heard the stutter in her voice and berated herself for it.

"I suggest you do not think of yourself in such a way Rin. You're far too kind to be so harsh with yourself." There was a dangerous edge to his voice Rin noticed immediately. His eyes had narrowed slightly, but they still burned at her. Rin could feel the color rising in her cheeks. "How do you know if I'm kind, we only just met…" She averted her eyes, finally breaking free, but she could still feel them on her like a physical weight on her skin. "Have we?" He sounded amused, and she glanced back at him, not knowing how to respond to this casual comment. "When you've been around as long as I have, you can learn a lot just from listening to a person speak. You have a good, kind heart. I can tell." A heavy silence followed his confident statement, and Rin was, again, at a loss for words.

He stood swiftly, and asked: "Now, have I given you all of the evidence you need for your judgement?" She could hear the humor in his voice again, and it loosened her rigid back immediately. She slid her tablet back into her bag and adjusted the strap securely onto her shoulder standing with him. The contents of this bag could possibly make her career before she even graduated. "Yes! This was so much more than I ever could have asked for! You've really helped me, so much!" "Good. My email is on my card, please feel free to send me a copy of the article once it's finished." Rin nodded enthusiastically, and smiled. "Oh yes, I definitely will."

Silence fell for a moment, and Rin realized she no longer had a reason to see him after this. She felt saddened by this somehow. She bit her lip and tucked her hair back behind her ear. "Um, well, this was wonderful, really. I can't thank you enough for everything. This could not have been easy to share." "Normally, I would say not. Sharing with you though, was almost easy." Rin inhaled sharply, again surprised by his open attitude with her. "I assume you're still thinking I'm a classist womanizer though?" He was joking with her again, smiling slightly. She smiled back, and fiddled with the tassel on her bag. "Yes ,well, I found you very easy to talk to as well. I think it would take more assessment to determine if those other things are true." "Well, that might be one point towards a positive note on my character." Rin smiled shyly. "Yes, well. Don't let it go to your head." His eyes slid down to her lips, watching her smile. Rin bit her lip, nervous of his scrutiny again.

"I should, um, get going. I'll send you a copy once it's finished though, I promise." His smile faltered, and he eyed her carefully. "Yes, please do." Rin gave him a polite bow, then turned and headed to the door. She didn't hear him move, she didn't even sense his presence, but suddenly he was grabbing her arm, gently stopping her retreat. She turned to him, eyes wide in surprise. He looked surprised as well, seemingly caught off-guard by his own rash action. His grip was firm, but he was not hurting her at all. "Y-Yes Sesshomaru?" she asked, her voice trembling again. He was looking at his own hand as if it had betrayed him. His brow furrowed, and he released her swiftly, as if he had been burned. "I apologize Rin. You may leave now." He was gone, back behind his desk in a flash, and Rin stood staring at him for a moment longer before she turned and left his office.

She closed the door swiftly behind her, and the secretary opened her mouth to bid her farewell, but Rin rushed past her and back out into the hallway. She didn't stop until she reached the elevator, jamming her finger into the down arrow. When the doors slid open, almost immediately, she stepped into the elevator and hit the "L" button for the lobby. She leaned against the back of the elevator, her mind swimming. He seemed as if he had wanted to say something to her, but had decided not to. She wasn't sure if she had wanted him to, was not sure if she could handle it if he did. She wasn't so naive to not have noticed the attraction between them. His bare hand on her skin had felt like a blaze of passion, and the reactions his eyes elicited from her were unlike anything she had ever felt.

There seemed to be a lot of obstacles however. He was an age-old demon, what could they possibly have in common? He was a prominent public figure as well, having a young human girl on his arm could possibly call his competence into question. By the time the doors had opened, she had almost convinced herself that possibly never seeing him again was definitely the best course of action. She left the elevator, and almost walked right out of the lobby before she remembered she still had the lanyard from the security desk. She whirled and made her way back to the desk. The young man was still there, and he looked up at her smiling kindly. "All set today Miss?" he asked and Rin nodded, sliding the lanyard to him. "Yes. Thank you very much for your help." He opened his mouth to reply, but she turned and left making her way out into the street.

Her eyes were blurred with repressed tears and she didn't even notice she had walked out into the street on a green light until the truck roaring towards her laid on its horn. Suddenly, time slowed to a crawl. Her body went rigid, as her brain began screaming: '_Move, dammit Rin, move!_'. Then, someone had grabbed her and she was seemingly mystically transported to the opposite side of the street. The truck kept going, still honking its horn, and a few passerby had stopped to look, interested. Someone was holding her tightly, and her cheek was pressed against a strong chest. Silver hair flittered into her vision, and just like that time accelerated and caught up to the present. She pulled her cheek away from the warm chest and saw Sesshomaru. He had saved her! And he was still gripping her tightly. "Sess-Sesshomaru?!" she cried, still slightly in shock. "Rin, what were you thinking, you could have been killed!" He set her down gently, his eyes were narrowed, his teeth bared at her. She could actually see his fangs, and she shivered. It wasn't in fear though it was more of a bodily reaction to his ferocity.

"I'm sorry, I was-" "It doesn't matter, you need to be careful!" He was almost yelling, and Rin covered her open mouth, startled by his intense reaction. "I-I'm so sorry…" she stuttered softly, unsure of how to respond. People were still staring at them, and Sesshomaru seemed to realize his reaction was unseemingly. He ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly shaken. "No, no, I should apologize." He took a deep breath and looked away from her. "I just...I got carried away." He sighed, and eyed her carefully. "I'm just not sure how to go about something like this. You see...I don't really do the "dating" thing. Not like most people. And I'm not sure how to proceed with you. You're so…" he trailed off, and Rin felt her heart hammering, waiting for his next words. He shook his head and closed his eyes. "You need to keep away from me Rin. I'm no good, especially not for someone like you." "What do you mean "someone like me"? A human?" He glanced at her, eyes narrowed. "No. Not exactly." He thought for a moment, then sighed again. "I just need to figure some things out." His face closed, and his cool composure was back. "Just...please, be careful. Take care of yourself, it's very important." "I-I will…" Rin whispered, and he nodded, accepting her answer. "Goodbye, Rin." He gave her a polite half-bow, and turned away from her making his way back to his office. Rin was too surprised to call after him, she just watched his back as he made his way across the street, moving away from her, possibly forever.

...

When Rin arrived home she threw her bag on her kitchen counter and made her way to her bedroom collapsing onto her bed. It was almost four, and she had work in about two hours, but her mind was stirring with confusion and longing. She flipped herself over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Her feelings swept over her, in and out, like a wave. He said to stay away, but he pulled her close. He told her to leave, but he followed her out the door. She groaned and pushed her palms into her eyes, trying to remove him from her mind. His perfectly-shaped lips, his sharp cheekbones, and those eyes! She had not imagined their color changing from gold to red, she knew this now. What did it mean? Everything was so confused, including her heart. She sat up as she heard her phone vibrating in her purse in the kitchen. She stood, exhaling harshly, and dug through her bag for her phone. It was Kagome.

She answered, her voice sounding as bleak as she felt. "Hey 'Gome, what's up?" "What do you mean what's up?! How was it? Did he throw you onto his desk and take you right there? Did he proclaim his undying love?" She was clearly excited, and Rin felt only slightly-annoyed by her friends presumptions. "No, of course not. I mean, he kind of saved my life after, but-" "What?! Are you okay, what happened?" Kagome interrupted her, worry making her voice sharp. "You know what? Tell me when I get there, I'm only five minutes out." Rin noticed the sound of the city in the background and she frowned. "Um, okay, I guess I'll leave the door unlocked." She knew better than to argue with her, Kagome had a knack for dropping in on her unannounced, and Rin was used to it now. "Thanks Rin! Love you, see you in a few!" Rin sighed. "I love you too, 'Gome." She hung up, and moved back into her room to change for work.

By the time she had washed most of her makeup off and had changed into her work clothes Kagome entered, calling out her name. Rin emerged from her bedroom and saw the large pink box in Kagome's hands. "It's okay, I brought cake." She hefted the box up, grinning. Rin smiled, despite still feeling tumultuous. "Is it from that new bakery? Their chocolate cake is to die for!" Kagome nodded, smiling in a satisfied manner. "Of course. I knew it would go one of two ways. One way this is a celebration cake, the other it's a "screw him, he's not worth it cake"." She placed it down on the counter and began digging in the cabinets for plates and silverware. "So. tell me all about it. What kind of cake are we eating?" Rin looked balefully at her friend and took the plate of triple-layer cake she handed to her. "Well, it was certainly one of the most bizarre things I've ever experienced. Have a seat, I'll explain."

...

Rin shook her head as she used her box-cutter to open another box of toilet paper. It seemed fitting, as this day had felt incredibly flushable. She had asked to handle stocking for the next four hours of her shift and her manager, a kindly old man named Fujio had let her. The cake had been delicious, and Kagome had been kind and supportive, but she was no closer to understanding the enigmatic demon. Kagome had been sympathetic, and had agreed that he had been acting very odd. She hadn't offered much in the way of advice, but Rin had felt Kagome had known something. She had been unusually quiet after, and had almost seemed guilty. Rin had been too tired to ask her what was going on, but she had felt she had reached her limit for the day already. Pulling possible information from her friend had been the last thing she wanted to pour her energy into. Besides, it was Kagome. She would find out eventually.

She felt her phone go off in her pocket, and she pulled it out seeing a text from Sango. She opened the message, which included an enthusiastic invite to Sango's favorite bar tonight, complete with emoticons. Everyone was going apparently, and Rin had been invited. She was tired, and felt like a well-wrung sponge, but a small furious voice in the back of her mind rebelled. '_Are you going to let that jerk ruin everything?_' it demanded, adamantly. No! No, if she wanted to have fun with her friends she would! And she could find some random guy, and prove to herself and Sesshomaru that it was easy to do, and that she could get someone. She would prove it to that reject Kaito, to Sesshomaru, and most importantly to herself.

She typed back an acceptance quickly and impulsively, adding that she wanted to do her best to forget this day. Sango answered quickly with: '_Don't worry girl, I can help you with that_' and a winking smiley face blowing a kiss. Rin slipped her phone back in her pocket, smiling confidently. This would be it. This would be the night she threw herself at some guy and just got it all over with. She was too picky, and it would end tonight.

...

The bar was loud as she entered, and it took Rin a moment to find her friends. "Rin! Over here!" Rin spotted Sango, over by the bar. Next to her were a few other familiar faces. She waved back to her, and made her way through the cramped crowd. As she neared the bar Sango grabbed Rin and pulled her in front of the bar. "You're just in time!" she yelled over the din. "We're doing shots!" She placed a shot glass of some type of brown liquor into Rin's hand. Rin wasn't much of a drinker, but she had already left her past self at the door. She threw the shot back and gulped all of it smoothly. It burned, and her eyes watered slightly, but Sango winked at her and took her own shot. "Lookit you girl! I didn't know you could throw em back like that!" She waved to the bartender, hanging over the bar to order another round.

Miroku emerged from her other side as Sango leaned forward, his eyebrows raised at her rambunctious attitude. He nodded to Rin, not bothering to shout over the noise. Rin waved back meekly, her mouth watering from the aftertaste of the alcohol. She leaned around Miroku and spotted Shippo, a petitie fox demon in avid conversation with his boyfriend, and Sango's younger brother, Kohaku. Shippo was one of the only demons Rin knew personally, and he was one of the sweetest people she had ever met. Rin wondered if she should ask him about Sesshomaru's behavior, seeing as how they were both full-demons. Then again, Sesshomaru was a dog demon and Shippo being a fox demon might that be a bit rude to assume he would know anything about a whole different species. Rin shook her head as the alcohol began to give her a warm glow in the pit of her stomach and tried to see the rest of her group.

It looked like everyone was here. Except Kagome. It struck Rin suddenly that with Kagome being in a relationship now, she was the only remaining single member of their group. Well, Sango insisted she and Miroku were not a couple, but they had been on-and-off for almost three years now, and everyone knew it was more serious than either one let on. The bartender made his way over, and Sango shouted another order at him. She looked to Miroku questioningly, and he held up his beer indicating he was good for the moment. Sango's ochre eyes met Rin's next and Rin nodded. Sango gave her a wicked smile, and ordered two more. She sat back down in her seat, her waist-length ponytail swinging behind her.

She had raven-black hair, and it was always straight with very little effort on her part. She had sweeping bangs that accentuated her rounded almost cherub-face, and she had exquisitely pale skin that Rin had always envied. It was flawless. She was very pretty, and tall like a model. Rin had had a slight girl-crush on her for awhile now, and her outgoing happy-go-lucky attitude offset her own meekness and Kagome's stubbornness perfectly. Miroku, on the other hand, was always slightly tan with long hair he kept pulled back in a loose knot. His eyes were cerulean, and sometimes mesmerizing. It often caused an effect of belaying his natural goofiness. His features were well-defined, and he made a handsome pair to Sango. He was, however, a giant flirt, and Rin had learned not to take him too seriously. Despite being one of the youngest accomplished biologists in the country, with his research funded by almost anyone, you wouldn't know he was in his late twenties if you caught him partying. Rin felt this helped to keep Sango's almost-immaturity in check. They were almost perfect for each other in that way.

She was morose suddenly as Sango placed another shot in her limp hand. She grabbed it, toasted the other girl at her behest and threw it back. Sango laughed, and Rin saw Miroku shake his head. "You're a terrible influence on this sweet girl my love." he called out, and Sango giggled. "Oh shush, you're such a party-pooper!" she waved her hand at him dismissively. Miroku eyed Rin, looking only slightly concerned. "Take it easy little Rin. don't try to keep up with her, you'll regret it tomorrow." Rin grinned at him. "Sorry Miroku, but I've had a really weird day and I just need to forget about most of it right now." Sango whooped encouragingly. "That's the spirit girl! Come on, let's get another!" And she leaned over again, trying to wave down the slightly-exasperated bartender.

Shippo picked this moment to make his way down the bar, holding Kohaku's hand and pulling him along. "Rin! When did you get here?" His impish face lit up upon seeing her, his abnormally green eyes glittering. Kohaku waved shyly behind Shippo. "I just got here!" Rin called back, cupping her hands around her mouth. Kohaku looked a lot like his sister, his hair shorter, his eyes a shade lighter, but with the same gorgeous ivory skin and ruby lips. Shippo was all color compared to Kohaku, with his amber-red hair and tanned skin. He had a bushy fox tail bobbing behind him, wagging in excitement.

They were an adorable couple, and had been madly in love for almost a year now. They also both were the two youngest members of their small group. "I'm so glad you came! Come on, let's dance!" He held one small hand out to Rin, and Sango took her shoulder. "Wait! Drink this first! You've got some catchin' up to do!" Rin took the third shot, tipped it back, repressed a cough as this one went down much less smoothly than the others, and placed the glass back on the bar. Sango drank hers as well, then grabbed Rin's free hand. "Come on, girl! Let's make 'em jealous!" she winked mischievously and they both followed the two boys out onto the small and packed dance floor.

...

Three more shots and a lot of clumsy dancing with Sango, Kohaku and Shippo later, Rin made her way to the bathroom. She stumbled slightly, but caught herself as she joined the queue for the bathroom. There was a mirror on the wall, and she drunkenly took a glimpse at herself. She had dressed in the smallest, most revealing garment she had. It felt appropriate for trying to pick up a guy, and her hair was loose and wild around her face. Her face was flushed, and her eyes heavily-lidded. She looked drunk. She felt drunk. So far though, no men.

Kohaku had, at one point, noticed her reckless behavior and had asked her what was wrong, but Rin had pushed him away, almost tripping in her tall black heels. She didn't feel like herself anymore, but maybe this was a good thing. She fumbled through her bag, searching for her lipstick while she waited and instead found a cream-colored business card. Seeing his name in the curled print made her angry all of a sudden. On a drunken impulse, she pulled her phone from her purse and dialed the number listed below the email, fully expecting his business phone. It rang twice before his voice came over the speaker: "This is Inutaisho."

"You're a jerk!" Rin burst out, yelling much louder than she needed to. "Rin? Is this you?" His voice was serious instantly, and this only angered her more. "Yeah! It is. But you know what? You can't tell me what to do, you can't tell me who to stay away from! And, I'm going to prove to you that men want me! I'm going to find a guy tonight, and take him home!" she blurted, still yelling a bit-too-loud. "Rin are you drunk?" "Yeah, so what if I am?" she answered, sounding like a child. "Where are you? I'm coming to get you." She could hear the anger simmering in his tone now, and this only pleased her more. "No! You're a controlling jerk, and I don't have to listen to you! You're so confusing with your "Come here, no, get away from me"! Well, I'm just going to do what I want now, so screw you!" She heard him responding, but she hung up before she could make out what he was saying.

The girl behind her in line was eyeing her suspiciously and Rin gave her a lazy smile. "I told him, huh?" The girl's eyes widened, and she looked away ignoring a very drunk Rin. Rin giggled to herself, feeling like she had won again. She had definitely pissed him off, and it served him right being so indecisive and confusing. She did find it odd he handed out what was obviously a personal number on a business card. She shrugged, dismissing the thought, and moved into the bathroom as another girl vacated the one-room toilet.

After using the bathroom, Rin walked out and right into a solid male chest. "Oof! Oh, I'm so sorry-" "Rin, is that you?" She looked up mid-apology and met the eyes of one of the last people she wanted to see. "K-Kaito?!" she cried, her ex looking down on her, surprised. "Wow Rin you look...really amazing. Are you here alone?" he asked, his brown eyes scanning around them. Rin shook her head no. "I'm here with Sango and everybody. What are you doing here?" He smiled softly. "Am I not allowed to have a drink?" he asked coyly, his hand resting on her arms. Rin looked to his hands, surprised. "Well, I mean, I guess not." She wasn't completely comfortable with his hands on her, but he used them to pull her closer. She could smell liquor on his breath, and his speech slurred slightly as he spoke. "Hey, look Rin, I've been thinking...breaking up with you was a huge mistake. And then seeing you here...you're so sexy, I think I made a huge mistake. Can we talk, maybe out back?" Rin's head was spinning as he confessed. This is what she had wanted right?

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak clearly, and he nodded, taking her arm and leading her towards the back of the bar, a bit forcefully. They made their way out a back door and into the dark alley behind the bar. As the door closed behind them, silence and darkness fell over Kaito, and Rin became even more discombobulated. "Kaito I-" "Look Rin, I understand why you would be mad, but I know I made a huge mistake." His grip tightened on her arm and he was gripping both of her arms standing in front of her. He towered over her, but he was not quite as tall as Sesshomaru. "I think we do have a future. Seeing you here tonight was a sign." He began closing the distance between them and Rin stepped back, away from him, until her back hit the cold cement behind her.

He moved in even closer, pushing their bodies against each other. His eyes were burning, and he looked almost slightly crazed. "I need you Rin. I need you now. I can't believe I almost walked away from this...you're so hot…" His hand left her arm and took her chin, tilting it up. He dipped down to kiss her, and Rin's blurry vision cleared instantly. His lips were rough, his tongue clumsy as it tried to pry her lips open. She jerked her head back, almost slamming it into the wall behind her, and he hissed at her: "Come on Rin. you wanted it so bad a week ago, and then you're walking around dressed like this, you can't tell me you don't want me right now." "No! Get off of me Kaito!" She tried to push against his chest, but he snarled and grabbed her hands in one of his, pushing hard into her. His other hand covered her mouth forcefully, and Rin panicked. '_No! This isn't right, this isn't what was supposed to happen!_' she thought frantically, not certain how this had escalated so quickly.

His knee jammed between her legs, and his mouth descended on her bare neck, licking the skin there. Rin whimpered, the alcohol making it difficult to be cohesive. Her small black dress had an open back, and the concrete was digging harshly into her skin. The short skirt had ridden up, exposing her panties from the force he was exerting. She regretted the sensual underwear, she regretted everything instantly. Why had she trusted him?! She tried to scream, and he whispered into her neck: "Shut up you little slut you know you-" Then the pressure was gone, and Kaito's body flew across the narrow alley slamming into the opposite wall with a sick crunch. Rin's eyes widened in horror, as she watched him collapse to the ground, clearly unconscious.

A dark figure lifted an unconscious Kaito up by his neck, and she saw the elongated claws before she saw his face. "Sesshomaru, no!" she cried, throwing her hand out to him. He stepped into the light from the dingy lamp over the door of the bar, and she gasped when she saw him. There was no gold in his eyes now, his lips were curled over his almost finger-length canines, and his features were distorted in fury. "Don't kill him…" she whispered. She feared for Kaito's life, the strength to have thrown a conscious man like a paper doll was staggering, and she could see the marks from his grip forming on the young man's neck. "Please…" she begged. His blood-red eyes landed on her, and she saw death in them. "Please!" she begged again, pleading.

With a roar that echoed around the darkened alley he dropped a limp, but still alive, Kaito to the ground. Rin felt the tension leave her body, and she fell against the wall as what just happened hit her, coupled with the sudden relief of her assailant being immobilized. Panic, fear and anxiety welled up like a volcano ready to burst, and her vision blurred. She swore she saw the ground rushing up to meet her, just before a pair of strong arms swept her up before impact. She was warm and safe...and then she was unconscious.

* * *

**AN2:** All right! Chapter 2! Hoping to be posting pretty regularly seeing as how I'm attempting to apologize for what happened with ReBirth. And Sesshomaru is also VERY OOC in this, once again, it's best to just think of Rumiko world as a vague outline when comparing everything to my wild imaginings and running rampant with her characters...

So yeah, hope you enjoyed, should have another chapter up very soon. Love you guys, thanks so much for reading, and thanks to T-Bone who helped me rationalize posting so soon :D


	3. Chapter 3: PushPull

Another Eternity

AN: Howdy folks! Here's another chapter! Woo-hoo! So, yeah, I have another story see (*coughReBirthcough*), and my laptop drank soup and I was a silly goose and had it backed up NOWHERE. Like...even FanFiction had forgotten it in the Publish section...was hoping to get the computer fixed/retrieve data off of it, but it's a no go. So. Imma start a very long process of trying to recover the story in some odd copypasta ways, hopefully be able to get back to it now that I finally have an an answer. Having said, I'm going to try to crank this out while doing so, because...well...I'm a creature of impulse and couldn't ignore Sess/Rin fandom and sexiness…? Yeah. Yeah, that seems right. Anyways, here ya go!

* * *

Chapter 3

PushPull

_"You push and you pull and you tell yourself no_  
_It's like when you lie down, the vein's growing slow_  
_You push and you pull but you would never know_  
_I crept up in you and I wouldn't let go_

_There was no light and I swear_  
_I could see a rearing fear_  
_I heard the planes moaning back_  
_I saw the thunder roll or black_  
_There was no light and I swear_  
_We sat still in our fear_  
_Make a ladder of what folds and climb up in me..."_

* * *

Rin woke up slowly, her consciousness fighting its reentry. She was instantly aware of the pain that pressed on her entire body, even before she was fully conscious. An ache she knew was from an abundance of liquor, but had not grown accustomed to quite yet. Then her head began to throb, and she cast around her mind's eye as to how she let herself get drunk enough that she was actually this hung-over. Her memories were very blurry and confused.

Her eyes fluttered open finally, and she regretted opening them immediately. It all came flooding back to her in vivid detail; deciding to throw all of her common sense away and drink as much as she could...then calling Sesshomaru in a drunken stupor. Her eyes went wide, and she cursed at herself. '_Why, oh why would I do something so colossally stupid and creepy?!_' She shook her head and then...Kaito. Holy shit, Kaito! And wait, Sesshomaru! She had called him and he had come for her! He had rescued her! She clenched her eyes closed as the last bits of her previous night rushed in, but she opened them now, and they flicked around her nervously.

This was _definitely_ not her apartment, and definitely _not_ her room. She was in an unfamiliar bedroom, in an unfamiliar bed. It was rather comfy, soft with sleek grey sheets, but not her own. There were large windows to her left, and they ran the entire length of the wall. It was daylight out, she could tell despite the blinds being drawn closed tightly. Judging from the brightness of the sunlight trying to fight its way through the cover it must have been after midday. She never slept this late! Then again, sleeping in may be the least of her concerns at the moment.

Logic led her to assume she knew the owner of the room she was in, but she had a hard time believing it. The space was immaculate, clean to the point that she had a hard time believing anyone actually occupied it. But someone definitely did. The door on the right side of the room opened slowly, and in walked Sesshomaru. Rin's mouth dropped open, and she held back a gasp. Everything from the night before felt fresh, yet still so blurry. He looked angry, and she felt it radiating off of him. It was nothing compared to the creature that had emerged the night before, but it was intimidating nonetheless.

He held in one hand a glass of water, and he glided around to her side of the bed and sat on the edge. Clearly keeping a respectable distance, which she appreciated. This whole situation felt so alien and strange. He held out the glass to her and in his deep, seductive voice he demanded: "Drink." Rin took the water, surprised how easily her hand obeyed, with almost no interference from her mind a completely innate instinct to obey. She took a relieved gulp of the chill filtered water. She kept her relief to herself, not wanting to seem too bodient still. She didn't want to admit that it soothed her scratchy throat, and made her throbbing head pound with less intensity almost instantly. He held out his other hand, and in his palm were two red capsules. "Take these. It's aspirin." He added. She noticed his bossiness, but took the pills and swallowed them. She tried not to visibly bristle at his command.

"Thank you." she mumbled, her voice hoarse despite the low volume. "Hnh." He made a soft grumbling noise at the back of his throat which sent a shiver down her back. She wanted to hear that grumble again and again. She took another small sip from the glass and then placed it carefully on the small bedside table. Goosebumps broke out on her skin, which she now realized was bare. "Where did my dress go?!" she cried out, almost regretting how defensive she sounded. "You were sick on the way back here. I removed it and sent it to be cleaned." Rin pulled the sheet up around her to cover her bra, and she could see a flush spreading up her entire body.

"I-I-" "My eyes were closed when I undressed you. It wasn't much of a dress, it required almost no skin contact." He sounded reproachful as he commented on her attire. She noticed then he had been avoiding looking at her, almost pointedly. "I stayed out there as well." he nodded towards the open door through which Rin could see a darkened hallway. "Oh." Rin wasn't sure how to follow that up. One moment she was itching to show him she would not blindly obey his oddly compelling commands, the other she was humbled by his heroism.

She had _not_ prepared for being in his room, for being this close to him for...for what had happened with Kaito. "I know I owe you thanks...probably a lifetime worth. I just don't know how to show you how grateful I am and I'm so ashamed of everything-" "_**Stop**_." Rin felt her whole body tense. Sesshomaru's harsh growl seemed to shake her to her bones. "What that disgusting creature did has nothing to do with you." He spoke slowly, and with fangs that were exposed and sharp. "I am lucky that you had the instinct to call me and alert me. Or else-" He cut himself off mid-sentence, turning away from her. He closed his eyes and she could tell he was breathing deeply. She watched in wonder as his fangs shrunk and slipped back behind his lips, and the creases of anger in his face smoothed.

He looked young again suddenly, and calm. Of course a glance would make a person suspect he couldn't be more than his late twenties, but upon looking closely, which one could not help but do to be honest, the demonic perfection of his features were instantly apparent. And just like that, another piece of him would become another mystery. What caused him to slip between demon and faux human?

Her hand was reaching towards him before she could stop it, but then again she wasn't sure she wanted to stop it. It lit on his shoulder softly and she suddenly found her arm trapped in his grip. His hand had shot out and clasped around her wrist tightly. She gasped audibly as his eyes snapped to hers.

They were roaring with a golden fire that took her breath away. "I would not-" his grip tightened as he emphasised the _not_, "-touch me right now Rin." Her name slipped from his lips, a syrupy purr, and he gripped slightly harder. Rin hissed as she felt a harsh throb from her wrist. "_Ouch!_" she cried out softly before she could stop it. Far too quickly for her to catch, he released her wrist and stood off of the bed.

Rin clasped her arm to her chest, watching him. His eyes were closed, his arms loose at his side. A heavy silence hung between them now. Rin's mind was grasping for reasoning behind his whirl of emotions. He looked angry still, almost visibly smoldering. '_What the hell did I do?'_ "Look, I'm really sorry I touched you, but I'm not exactly going to bite you or anything-" "It's not you I'm worried about." His tone was cold and final. Rin bit her tongue holding back a sharp reply for him interrupting her.

"Get yourself cleaned up. The bathroom is just through there." He pointed to the door in front of him with one long finger. "I'll get you something to eat. There's clothes there-" His hand swung around pointing out a plush chair near the windows, clothes draped over it. "Then come out and see me. We can talk over breakfast." Rin opened her mouth to protest his demand, but before she could he turned and left briskly. She gaped at the door as he closed it behind him. '_What in the hell is going on?!_' her mind screamed at her.

She shook her head to clear it, wincing in the pain that protested her sharp movement, and eyed the clothes on the chair. She sighed, slipped from the bed and into the bathroom keeping the sheet wrapped around her. She honestly wouldn't mind a shower, and she felt there wasn't much point in fighting him on it at the moment. Still confused and still shaking her head (gently this time) she started the water in the shower stall and waited for it to heat before getting in and leaving the sheet in a heap on the floor.

Rin tried to shower quickly, but made sure to soak in as much of the pressurised spray as she could. The shower head was clearly top of the line and much better than her weak one at home. It massaged her aching muscles, and she treasured it for a few moments before quickly washing her hair with the shampoo and conditioner provided and quickly scrubbed her skin with an expensive loofah. The small shampoo and conditioner bottles had the name of a hotel she knew to be downtown on them, and Rin was puzzled for a moment before she understood where she actually was. Downtown at one of the nicest hotels in the city. Why was he staying in a hotel, did he get rid of his place here when he went overseas?

She remembered, what felt like a lifetime ago, when Kagome had spilled the beans she had on him. He had been gone for a few years, maybe he didn't actually have a home here anymore? That made her a little sad so she instead inspected her wrist where he had grabbed her. There were three small imprints slightly finger-shaped. It didn't look like it would bruise, and it didn't hurt anymore, so she rinsed her conditioner and stepped from the shower turning off the water.

She wrapped one of the oversized towels around her, and peeked through the bathroom door into the room. It was empty and quiet. She sighed, relieved that the door was still closed, and left the bathroom, steam billowing into the room. It carried with it a light smell of berries and shea, the smell of the soap and shampoo. She kind of liked the smell, and she felt quite a bit better as she surveyed the clothes. A pair of light denim colored jeans, loose-fitting, and a black cotton t-shirt. She put on her bra and panties from the night before, and slipped into the pants. The jeans glided up her legs and sat low on her hips. The fit was perfect. She chose to not ask how he knew her size, and tried on the shirt. It also fit perfectly. '_Okay, this is getting weirder…_' she thought, as she pulled her hair out of the shirt and faced the door into the rest of the hotel room.

She wished she could prepare what she was going to say to him, but there was so much rattling around in her brain right now that she just decided to dive in. As she opened the door, she took a deep breath, steeling her willpower.

The hallway beyond was dim with sunlight, and it opened up into a large sitting room with what looked like a brand-new television. To her left was a center island and tiled floor with a full refrigerator. Sesshomaru was leaning over the center island, a plate of steaming food in front of him. He looked completely casual, his laptop open in front of him. He was obviously reading something, his fingers resting on his lower lip, his eyes half-lidded, his knee cocked and resting against the island. He was barefoot, and she now realized he was wearing loose-fitting black pants that hung off of his hips leaving a thin line of alabaster skin exposed above his waistline. His black short-sleeved shirt looked similar to hers, but tighter-fitting, and she could see the outlines of his abs from the side. Her eyes stuck on the exposed skin, and she felt hypnotized by the lines trailing down below his pant-line. "Feeling better Rin?" She physically jumped as he spoke to her.

Her eyes met his, and she could see they were glittering at her almost laughing, his tone light. He obviously knew she was ogling him, and was clearly amused by it. Rin felt her face heat yet again as she tried to collect herself and made her way to the opposite side of the island from where he was leaning. There was a tall wooden stool with a soft cushion and she took a seat carefully, trying not to stumble as she mounted it. She was a little over five feet, relatively petite, so she commonly struggled with raised seating.

He straightened up across from her as the scent of the food wafted towards her. It smelled amazing! "What is that? It smells wonderful!" she couldn't help but gush at the delightful dish before her. "The best frittata in the city. Dig in." He motioned to the food, a small smile on his face. Rin eyed him skeptically, then took the fork next to plate in slightly trembling fingers. She took a slow bite, aware that he was watching her closely. Her eyes closed reflexively at the sensation of the flavors on her tongue. Her stomach roared at her, and she dug in almost as soon as she swallowed. She tried to maintain her composure, but it was so delicious she devoured it.

Once she was finished, she placed the fork on the plate and sighed, smiling. Sesshomaru had pulled his laptop in front of him, but his eyes were still on her. He looked mildly bemused at her voracious appetite. Rin felt herself redden in embarrassment. "Sorry, I guess I was hungry." "Well, I'm glad I fed you then." He responded, finally looking away back to his laptop, giving Rin a moment to gather her wits. Rin cleared her throat, readying her questions. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier by trying to touch you...you looked upset, and I wanted to help the way you helped me last night…" Sesshomaru sighed heavily and Rin waited for him to answer.

She had wanted to interrogate him, but the shower had helped wash away some of her confusion and impatience. Now she only wanted him to know how grateful she was. "Rin, I owe you an apology for my earlier behavior. There are facets to my personality that are...troubling at times, and unfortunately you inadvertently bring these things out in me. I would wish to spare you from this, but...I cannot keep myself away from you it would seem, and this is my fault not yours." Rin blinked, surprised by his forwardness. "But...what if I don't _want_ you to stay away from me?" Her voice came out soft and meek, and she almost hoped he hadn't heard her, but she heard him inhale sharply through his teeth in response.

"It's hard to explain, but I've already hurt you," his eyes flicked to her wrist, resting on the island "I can't risk anything else I could actually break you." There was relish in his voice. "It's okay though, my wrist is fine, really!" She held it out to him, showing that even the indents had faded now. He was still avoiding her eyes, watching the opposite wall. "It's not that simple Rin." "Well, then make it simple. I'm pretty quick, I'll catch on." She crossed her arms, frustrated that he was no longer making sense. "I have specific-" his eyes flicked to hers then away, "tastes, that do not fit what might be considered normal. On top of this, you are a human and much more delicate than what I'm used to. Hurting you would not be worth the risk." Rin took a moment before she answered, thinking. She didn't completely understand what he meant, but if she wasn't mistaken, he was saying he wanted her...romantically and possibly physically. She didn't want to look too closely at what kind of harm he was referencing in the physicality of a relationship with him, and her vision was tunneled on the simple admittance from him to being interested in her.

'_Cannot keep himself away from me…_' he had said. Now that it was out in the open, Rin felt something heavy settle on her. The way she felt about him seemed so obvious at this moment, and it was so unique. She had been denying it since their first encounter, but now the strength of her lust and interest in him was consuming. She had to admit he had not left her thoughts completely since she had met him last week. She had been dreaming while awake it felt, since that night, and it was only about him. This need and emotion in her was _alive_. Her decision seemed obvious. How could he assume anything was too dangerous for her? Anger flared inside her suddenly at his presumption.

"I think I can accurately determine what is harmful myself. I don't need you doing that for me, you know nothing about me how could you possibly make such a decision without even trying first?" He met her eyes now, and she could see he looked a bit surprised. After a moment of this, his face slid into an almost coy smirk and his eyes glittered. "You are a very curious creature, Rin. You continue to catch me off guard." Rin jutted her chin towards him, trying to continue to appear confident and assured. She wasn't sure if it was her succeeding at convincing him, or if he actually believed she was right, but his eyes lost their glimmer and his smirk disappeared.

He suddenly seemed very formal as his posture became rigid, and he leveled his gaze on her. "If you're sure, something could probably be arranged." Rin cocked an eyebrow at this. "_Something_? Am I something to be arranged?" Even she could hear that her voice had a teasing note to it. "And what might I get out of this '_arrangement_' of yours'?" As she finished speaking something instantly changed in him. She could actually see his seriousness melt away from his features, and his eyes seemed to defrost slowly. Her eyes widened as she watched as his irises went from jagged ice to luscious liquid heat. The smoldering of his anger came to her mind for a moment, but this was more...lustful. Territorial came to mind. He practically prowled around the counter, and Rin felt her hands begin to shake.

He was smooth and slow as one of his arms wrapped around her waist, and his body slid between her legs, which opened for him immediately. His other hand cradled her jaw, and with firm yet gentle fingers he tipped her face up so she their lips were barely an inch apart. He was looking down on her now, deep into her, and she went limp in his hold. He supported her loose weight without missing a beat, and then he whispered across her lips: "You get me Rin. All of me." Rin felt his breath flit over her lips, and her body ached with a need she didn't completely understand. All she knew was his lips and eyes were her entire universe now. She only waited a a breath longer, and then - The Big Bang happened. His lips brushed hers, almost a nuzzle, then he took them, kissing her fully. His lips slanted fully over hers, and fire erupted in the pit of her stomach almost instantly, like a match to gasoline. Her eyes closed reflexively, and small bursts of light erupted in time with his kiss. It was like an orchestra of feeling had come to life in her. The warmth from her stomach began sliding through her veins and soon she felt it in the tip of her toes.

The grip around her waist tightened, and she was now flush against him in the full embrace of his larger body, and it felt as if she was being enveloped in him. His hand splayed on the small of her back, and he exerted the smallest amount of pressure forcing her breasts to push into him.

Rin's mouth opened into a gasp that he swallowed, and then his tongue was flirting around her teeth, soft and almost cautious. She tilted her head to the side slightly, the movement completely flawless and giving him the purchase he had been requesting instantly. It had never been this smooth with Kaito, this unimpaired. The hand that had guided her mouth to his now moved into her hair, and he placed the smallest amount of pressure there, placing Rin in a completely vulnerable position. Her mouth was now his to plunder, and with any sign of inhibition evaporating he dove into her. His tongue was so skilled it guided her mouth into a elegant dance, while still teasing and pulsing. It made her want to give him more access, but she doubted there was any more to give.

The orchestra swelled, the lights that had exploded behind her lids becoming swirls of color. She was dizzy with his taste, his smell, completely overwhelmed. The heat in her stomach became molten and slid down to her thighs, now tingling. Her mind was hazy and lost to the feeling. It felt like an eternity where he coaxed this heat in her thighs to an uncomfortable craving so that she wiggled slightly against him and small whimpers issued from her throat. Just before she lost any semblance of sanity however, he pulled back, releasing her mouth. The hand that had moved from tangling in her still-wet hair loosened and he took her shoulder to steady her as he stepped back breaking their last physical connection.

Rin's blood was a rushing river in her ears as the color faded from behind her lids, forcing her to open them. She had to blink a few times to clear her vision, and she was instantly chilled missing the warmth he had given her. The hand on her back slipped away, then he let go of her shoulder after a moment and Rin felt her spine solidify. She focused on him as he moved back around the counter and took his place in front of his laptop, watching her. He looked almost calm compared to the hurricane in her. There was so much need, so much more than she had ever known for anything. She wanted him back, kissing her like that forever...that and more. He spoke first, breaking the silence marred only by Rin's slight heavy breathing. "We'll have to arrange something."

* * *

AN2: Okay! Bam, some action! Sorry it's so short this time. Next chapter will include some of the *ahem* arrangements, then well...magic, I guess? Aha. Mmm, yeah. For T-Bone, as always, and to you guys! Some reviews, some follows, so psyched! See everyone in the next chapter! All the love!


	4. Chapter 4: Repetition

AN: Omg, hey y'all! Oof the inconsistency of writers on ffnet, friggin brutal x-x Randomly got like...super charged with creative energy like three days ago...well, not _completely_ random eheh ^-^, and spat out like two chapters of this randomly, also went back and re-edited a bunch. Mostly just grammar mistakes, nothing too relevant, but I'll be uploading it in an attempt to stay consistent O.o Um...so, here's another one! Woop! I will be spitting out another chapter, but I cannot guarantee consistency after this, sadly. Probably best to just be honest, eh? Oh, yeah! Reviewers, yeah you're totes right, it's basically Fitty, but with Rin and Sessh instead. I was hesitant to how much I would draw from the original material, but seeing as how the culture of Sub/Dom relationships can be a bit of a...tetchy subject? It felt best to kind of stick to the novels seeing as how it was well-received. Most of my own thoughts will come in on how the idea of the Sub/Dom dynamic is presented. I kind of hated how the series did it, tbh. But, brought the community into the spotlight and normalized it…? Kinda…? So I owe EL that I suppose XD Anyways, Chapter 4!

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Chapter 4:

Repetition

"_Tell me that you want to move me 'round like that_

_I will watch your lips curve in a smooth combat_

_Make your way in through my tears and I'll relax_

_If you're the truest one_

_I'm going to make you a season_

_Climb up in my rattling spine and I'll contract_

_Tell me I'm the only one and I'll move back_

_If you see your daydreams in me they'll not lack_

_What's been weighted in me_

_I'll make you quake with reason_

_Watching me is like watching the fire_

_Take your eyes from you_

_Hope it isn't repetition_

_Though that's the only thing_

_That keeps and takes you..."_

* * *

Rin gazed blearily at her phone. It was three in the morning, and she had work in two hours. Class in seven. She had spent the whole night studying and trimming the article she had managed to write over the last week from her miracle interview with the feudal dog-demon. Her eyes blurred as she re-read another paragraph she had typed analyzing the above dialogue she had captured, and she let her head fall onto her desk. Her ponytail flopped over head, causing her hair to fan out around her head.

She had to call it quits, this was getting ridiculous. She sighed, pulled herself up and stood, stretching. Her white tank-top slipped over her hips exposing a length of skin over the band of her sweatpants. She flicked off her desk lamp and crawled into bed. She tried desperately to let sleep wash over her, but instead thought back to almost a week ago when she had left Sesshomaru's hotel room. As she had been doing every spare moment since she had left.

...

After their kiss he had kept his distance. She couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to, or if he was doing it to intentionally drive her crazy. She had been a little frustrated after that he did not seem to be as upside down as she was from it. She had _never_ experienced that with Kaito. Her soul had felt like it was singing, which was not something she thought she could even comprehend. Something had been awakened deep within her as his lips had swept her away, and now that she knew it was there it was all she could think about.

He had offered to give her a ride home, and when she had agreed he had waited for her to gather her things from his room. When she had re-emerged in the kitchen he had been leaning with his back against the counter this time, his arms crossed across his chest. How he made relaxing look so damn sexy with his lithe body she had no idea. "How long do you need for your arrangements?" she had asked, and even she had heard the snip in her voice. She hadn't meant to get so frustrated, but the way he stood there as if they hadn't just shared the most seductive, alluring, soul-binding kiss ever made her burn. A small smirk was his initial response, and this only fired her up more.

She bristled as he spoke in an even voice: "Should be less than a week. I just need to get some things prepared. I'll contact you when we can meet to discuss things further." "Well, hopefully I'll be available in a week, I'm pretty busy with school right now." she shot back, slipping her bag around her shoulder. He had growled deeply in response to this and Rin felt herself tremble at the ferocity in it. "Once you are mine you will learn not to speak to me in such a way." Rin's eyes shot over to him, and she almost took a step back at the look on his face. The beast was back, and it was hungry. "I-I'll speak however I-I want." She didn't believe herself either, and a devilish grin spread across his face as he stalked towards her closing the distance between them. He took her chin in his fingers and brought her eyes up to his. "Once you are mine, you will use the right tone with me and you will speak with respect." Rin's eyes were wide in the same way prey reacts with a predator bearing down on it. Something uncertain flitted across his face as he seemed to register this, and he let her go.

"You may want to take this week to be certain this is what you want. Once I've shown you this, it will always be there." Rin was confused, but she missed his hand instantly. "I won't be changing my mind." She knew she had no way of knowing this for certain, but she needed to say it to him. He gave her what might have been a wistful look, then he motioned for her to make her way to the door. "I will be driving you home. We're only a few minutes away." She blinked at this. "We're only a few minutes away from _my_ apartment? Why are you so close?" She had known the branch of the hotel from the hair products and soaps in the shower, but she did not think they had a branch near her neighborhood. She had assumed they were at the main location in the heart of downtown. Then again, she was quite close to the airport, so maybe that explained the posh hotel's abnormal location. She hadn't meant for her question to come out sounding like an accusation, but it did.

It had bugged her slightly too how he had found her last night at the bar so easily, she didn't recall telling him exactly where she was at any point during her childish conversation. "The hotel was well-rated." he said off-handedly. Rin couldn't help but feel as if he weren't giving the real reason for his location, but she decided to ignore it for now. "I'm parked down in the garage, shall we go?" he asked, swiftly changing the topic. Rin nodded, biting her lip to keep from interrogating him further, and followed him to the door. As he pushed a button on the left side of the wall she realized this was the elevator down. He must be in the penthouse to have a private entrance.

Rin had known from her research that the Inutaisho family was one of the richest families in the country. Sesshomaru also had a successful career, so she had to assume he himself was very wealthy as well. Of course him showing off his possibly unfathomable bank account made her nervous. She was not used to the finer things in life. Kaede had lived exactly to her means which were not very high. Rin herself had inherited a good amount from her parents, but most of that went towards school and keeping her fed and clothed. Her current job helped pay for her living expenses, and she had picked it up to avoid troubling Kaede for money. She was about to retire after all, and the woman had raised her well and with love and compassion. These were her years to rest, She had never had much, and knew what it meant to have little. She did not feel comfortable around such extravagant means of living.

As the doors opened, she stepped inside without waiting for his lead and he followed her in pressing the well-lit 'G' button, and the doors slid shut silently. There was no music in this elevator, and the reflection off of the silvered walls made Rin's eyes hurt slightly. The aspirin, shower and food had done a wonderful job of dimming her hangover, but it crept back into her eyes now. She found she was squinting. She saw Sesshomaru notice her reaction and he smirked cockily. "I hope you see the folly in putting that much poison in your body now Rin." She could hear the sarcasm in his voice, and it caused her to bristle. "I know I said I'd listen, but I haven't agreed to anything yet." she retorted, voice sharp. "Maybe you need more convincing to wait just a bit longer before I reveal everything to you?"

Rin glanced at him as he said this, and saw the predator was back in his gaze and his voice resonated the husky growl he seemed to use when she objected to him. She opened her mouth to answer, but he made his move before she could. Suddenly, his body was flush against her, and his lips crashed onto hers much more forceful this time. The soft gentle teasing kiss he had given her previously seemed like an illusion compared to the intensity of this. His left hand grabbed both of her wrists easily and pinned them to the elevator wall behind her and over her head. He was exerting increasing pressure on her body with his, and she felt her knees wobble as he was able to successfully pin her against the wall of the elevator. This kiss was immediately fierce and consuming.

The first time he had been soft, sweet, and cautious trying not to push her boundaries until she had given him permission. This was a hurricane of need, pushing down on her, completely overwhelming everything in her. There was no slow spread of warmth through her this time. Instead the fire ignited between her thighs and she moaned into his mouth. He seemed to drink her exclamation and deepened their kiss, his tongue now exploring her mouth deeply. His right hand gripped her around the waist and pulled them together, even closer. She could smell him - a strong scent of sandalwood and a bit of pine - and she could taste him as he drank her - musky with just a bit of mint, possibly from toothpaste? - and her mind was lost in those sensations and what he was doing to her.

There was a soft _beep_ as the elevator came to a stop and the doors whisked open. He had released her immediately, pulling away and leaving her body limp against the wall. "Mmm...you make a wonderful argument…" Rin murmured as her senses returned to her as soon as his warmth left. She heard him sigh softly, and he reached out to block the elevator doors from closing on them again. "Yes, well. I haven't exactly been forthcoming with you, and you deserve more than that. I only ask that you bear with me for the next few days, and agree to meet with me when I am ready." Rin opened her eyes, and she could see a hint of concern at the corners of his.

Her brow furrowed. "I suppose I can wait. I expect answers though when we meet again." She saw his eyes soften. "Of course. I promise to provide answers and...so much more-" his eyes traveled down her body making her shiver. "I only hope you will be willing to listen to the answers." He sounded tired. Rin tried to smile, her curiosity wanting to erupt. "I can promise that at least as well." she said, trying to give him a look of compassion as best she knew how. It seemed to have no effect as the edges of his face hardened. "Yes, well, we shall see. This way, I'll get you home now."

...

He had given her a polite farewell, despite the heat clearly radiating in his eyes, and she had felt them rigidly focused on her until she had made it inside both security doors to her apartment - and from that moment she had spent the last four days going absolutely mad. Sango had called her that night, and had asked about the "super hot guy that had whisked her away that night". Rin had freaked as Sango explained he had come in through the back door with her in his arms and had explained calmly and carefully that he was a friend and would be taking her home. Sango had said he seemed too genuine and concerned to be lying and had agreed to let him take her. She felt speechless at this. Granted, she respected Sango's assessment of personality with something like reverence, but even to her this sounded flaky. Still, she decided her weekend had been _much_ weirder, so she filed it away for further inspection and possibly reevaluating Sango's drunken judgement later..

"So, is this some new mysterious boyfriend, or what?" Sango had asked cheekily, a slightly melodic tone to her voice. Rin's first instinct was denial, but instead, she had frozen - her tongue like lead. She had passed him off as a classmate, and Sango had accepted this clearly suspicious. They had chatted a bit more, then Rin had ended the call, needing to try to sleep. Her dreams had haunted her all week. She had been dreaming of him since she met him, but now it was blanketed in so many other factors. She had been dreaming of her own version of a man she was compellingly attracted to.

What had happened at the bar with Kaito felt like a meaningless blur now. It had been terrifying, one of her scariest moments definitely, but as soon as Sesshomaru had materialized on the scene, it no longer seemed frightening. She had known, deep within herself, she was safe. And seeing him raging as a demon had kind of made Kaito look pathetic and helpless. Thus, his assault was weakened in her mind as a result. The dreams she was having while asleep now were all hot heavy breathing and stolen kisses, all centered around a silver-haired demonic Adonis. A thrill she had never felt had sparked in her when he had pinned her against the wall in the elevator...a need for more of whatever the hell that was.

She slept fitfully, and when she woke visions of him were always just in the corner of her eye. She had been dreaming of him previously of course; sweet nothings as innocent as she was. Maybe him taking her on a nice candlelit dinner (which always looked like the restaurant they had met in). Now it was all about the predatory nature of him, the pure animalistic lust he exuded. The way he had stalked over to her from behind the center island in his hotel's kitchen before their kiss stuck with her primarily in her dreams, and how it had been unlike anything she ever could have imagined. All spurred by his merciless strike-down of Kaito, the overall _power_ he exuded.

That _she_ could elicit such behavior from a male like him was beguiling to her as well. That he seemed so intent to be with her...in some way, that wasn't quite clear. And, of course, the mysteriousness surrounding any type of interaction they may have. She had no idea if when she saw him next if he would be asking her out, or telling her off. The mixture of burning passion in his eyes and his formal business tone, completely rational at times, when speaking on their interactions really left her befuddled. It had seemed to dark and forbidden the way he had spoken of being with her. But there was _something_ physical going on, or else he would not have kissed her like that and offered himself in so many words.

The idea of how he had gazed down on her and how he had said that. _'All of me…_' It had sounded so..._romantic_. With all of this rattling around in her mind those waking dreams were now drenched in doubt and nervousness. She had simply gone through the motions to now, where she was lying in bed, helplessly awake. She was stirred from her thoughts as her phone vibrated on her bed stand. Curious as to who it might be she checked it to find an email - From Sesshomaru!

Her fingers trembling she opened it and read it eagerly.

_To: __sunflowerchild4now _

_From: Inutaisho, Sesshomaru __tapartners _

_ Rin - _

_I have reached a final organization for our situation. If you are available this Friday we could possibly meet up to confer on the details. Please send me back your availability._

_-Sesshomaru Inutaisho_

_PS: I hope the "reward" is still fresh in your mind. If not, I could offer more "insight" Friday evening_

Rin skimmed the first section, and noted the business-like tone to his writing. It made her frown as she again became sucked into her doubt and hesitation. The post-script made her stomach flip, and the doubt wiped away. His kiss had been mind-boggling, and she had been craving more since the initial meeting of their lips. The fact that he was trying to lure a response from her in the form of kiss-blackmail almost made her giggle. He was flirting, if she wasn't mistaken. Not caring that it was far too quick to respond and still seem aloof, she quickly typed a response:

_Sesshomaru - _

_Friday evening should work fine for me. Would around 6 work for you? Let me know - _

_PPS: It is still lingering in the back of my mind somewhere. Perhaps I would need something more...memorable in case I need to weigh my options after we "confer on the details"? _

She grinned as she hit '_Send_', hoping her referencing his odd phrasing and unnecessary secrets about everything would let him know some flirting and attempting to make her forget he was being odd with physical seduction wouldn't fly after they speak. She was putting her foot down; no more mixed words. She would know his intent. He responded only a moment later, surprising her. He wasn't playing games either.

_Rin - _

_Understood. I will clearly have to up the ante. Consider the stakes set._

_PS: You should be asleep, you have work in a few hours._

Rin felt peeved again at his bizarre knowledge on her life, and she typed furiously:

_Now I understand too, maybe I'll just have to one-up you with your supposed "raised ante" to get you to stop being so damn mysterious! It's on now_

_PPS: Okay, you don't get to know, or at least show-off, any more of your weird fortune-telling of my life. And I will be going to bed now, but for unrelated reasons. Maybe I'll speak to you later, might have engagements you wouldn't know about...or would you?_

She meant the last sentence to be sarcastic, and his almost instant response made her jump slightly. '_I must've pissed him off, that was definitely typed with demon speed._' she thought, wondering if she had frustrated him...again.

_I doubt you could match my "ante" Rin. Also, I would definitely know _

_PS: Goodnight_

Rin huffed, and plugged her phone in to let it finish charging. She could almost hear the bossy tone in his email, even though his words appeared off-handed, especially his postscript. Also...had that been a threat? She had clearly hit a mark with implying he might not know something about her...and yet he was all smoke and mirrors as to his honest intentions so far. Sufficient to say, she did sleep slightly better that night. No dreams for the first time since they met.

...

Rin had seen Kagome for the first time the next day, and she had been waiting for the barrage of questions about Sesshomaru. Sango and Kagome talked every day, and Rin knew Sango well enough to know she would not exclude any details on Sesshomaru's odd appearance. Much to Rin's surprise they spent most of their class time and habitual lunch after with Kagome not mentioning anything. In fact, she was acting almost too casual. Rin noticed as they finished lunch in the cafeteria. As they dumped their dishes and garbage in the trash cans and placed their trays in the collection tub on top, Kagome must've finally lost her patience.

"So, Rin," she started. Rin could hear the impatience in her voice edging in. "Mmm, yes?" she asked, her tone overly-questioning. "Sango told me some super-sexy silver-haired guy took you home last weekend from the bar...I don't want to pry, but was it Sesshomaru by chance?" Rin smirked to herself, deciding she would indulge the girl. They had a half-hour to waste here. They usually spent it in the library together, but Rin took a quick left through the courtyard as they made their way outside heading towards the opposite end of campus and away from the library. Kagome looked surprised, but followed keeping pace with Rin.

"Yes, it happened to be Sesshomaru. And man, it was an...odd night." She halted, scrambling to figure out how much she wanted to tell. She had never been the one with boy stories before, that was always reserved for Sango and Shippo - even though everyone knew he was only ever talking about Kohaku, he was sweet enough to leave out details. Of course when Kohaku was sitting right next to him and flushing furiously, it more than bellayed that misguising.

She exhaled slowly, deciding someone at least needed to know the whole story. It was the only way to make it all truly real. Up until his email last night it may have been a delusion. Some wild concoction she had made up to avoid a boring weekend in. Without further ado, she unfurled the entire story onto Kagome. As she reached Kaito, Kagome immediately grew alarmed. "Rin, we need to report him! That's insane!" Rin stopped dead at that. She hadn't even considered doing such a thing. Sesshomaru's beating had seemed to take the roll of delivered justice, and Rin hadn't seen him around at all that week. Then again, she hadn't really been looking.

"I-I guess that would be the right thing to do." Kagome nodded, then gave her a warm hug. "That aside though, are you okay?! I can't believe you were sitting on something like this, I'm going to _kill_ Sango, knowing how drunk you were and letting you get pulled away by that sicko-" "'Gome it wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyone's fault but his honestly. See Sesshomaru, after he appeared he just...he made me feel so safe, and he almost tore Kaito apart like tissue paper! Knowing someone like that is around and willing to help me...I just haven't really been upset. He got there so _fast_ too! It was crazy, like he teleported or something, which I didn't think dog demons could do. Plus, we kissed after that so-" "Whoa, hold up you _kissed_ Sesshomaru?! _The _Sesshomaru, the lifeless statue who has never even _looked_ at a woman? Okay, we'll report the sick bastard after you tell me about that!" Kagome took Rin's arm and they began walking again.

Rin told Kagome everything...well, mostly everything. She covered the major bits, and when it came to the kiss her tongue seemed to get tangled in her teeth repeatedly until Kagome supplied: "Wow it sounds a lot like the first time I kissed Inuyasha...I mean, by how flustered you are." She had caught Rin's incredulous look and rushed to explain. "It was just the first time we kissed I like, couldn't control myself. I mean, I've kissed people before but...it was silly, like those romance movie scenes where everything spins and there's colors everywhere." Kagome's voice became dreamy and her eyes glazed over slightly. "And then, you know, there's that silly fade-to-black, with curtains blowing from an open window…" She trailed off, then shook her head her eyes and face clearing. "I mean, we _did_ fade to black that first night. I've never done that before, but...it was _unreal_. I wonder if this is a dog-demon trait?" she added, thoughtfully. Rin was crimson, her mouth opening and closing. Kagome noticed and giggled.

"Oh boy, if it is I'm proud of you guys! I couldn't resist it, but congratulations I guess you're more strong-willed than I am!" She laughed jovially and clapped a flabbergasted Rin on the back. Noticing Rin still looked stunned, she giggled. "Oh come on, I'm messing with you! You never have romantic stuff to talk about, and neither do I so I'm enjoying this quite a bit. So anyways, what happened next, seems like there's more." Rin closed her mouth, her blush fading slowly, repeated the rest of their encounter, finishing with their emails from the night previous. "Well, okay! He's definitely acting super strange though. I wonder what that's all about. I mean he is a lawyer, and a demon, maybe he's just worried about his rep or something?" Kagome offered, and Rin sighed.

"I'm really not sure 'Gome. He's definitely hiding something. And it was so weird how he spoke about whatever it is. It was like he loved and hated whatever the hell '_it_' is. Sometimes he seemed reluctant to even mention it, but like he had no choice because that's what's stopping him from straight on asking me out. It's so abnormal, he's not fitting the picture of the man you see in articles." Her brow furrowed as she thought back to meeting him in his office. "Our interview was amazing, he basically gave me a whole new insight into social hierarchy back in the Feudal Era. He was actually a demon lord! Well, until he abdicated. I mean, demon royalty 'Gome! It was really humbling to be able to secure knowledge from a person who _actually _lived it. There was so much wisdom, and so much brutality back then. I mean up until-" "Rin, love, I hate to cut you off, but you're about to go on a history tangent, which I love, but we're also here." Kagome silkily interrupted Rin before she could begin, and pointed to the building Rin hadn't noticed they were now stopped in front of.

They were outside of the nearest police station a block away from the school. She hadn't even noticed they had left the campus. "How did we get here?" she asked her voice dazed. Kagome giggled. "You were really into that story, huh? I'm so happy for you, but I think you should take care of this before we decide to skip our last class, go and get some delicious tart and talk late into the night about this." She wiggled her eyes at the station, and Rin realized what she was talking about.

"Oh right, Kaito! Okay, I'm ready." she nodded, determined, then turned to Kagome grinning. "You better follow-up on the tart though, there's a new place that just opened a block or two away, you can't get out of this one." Kagome sighed, dramatically. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Rin filed a report with the police, and they assured her they would investigate it thoroughly. They also thoroughly asserted they would contact her as soon as they had anything and after questioning Kaito, and that the issue would be handled as quickly and efficiently as possible. The officer also mentioned they may need her to come back in if they needed any more information upon finding Kaito, and Rin agreed to cooperate. Kagome had held her hand, comforting her throughout, but Rin had not felt any discomfort talking about the situation. She had casually left out Sesshomaru's involvement for now and the officer had not pressed her for details as to how she got away which she was thankful for. She had no idea if Sesshomaru could get in trouble for what he had done. She made a mental note to bring it up to him in case Kaito mentioned it when they found him. Kagome and Rin thanked them and they had left. Rin felt more relaxed now that she had reported him.

It was true, Sesshomaru confirming he seemed to know her location at any time and being able to shred Kaito with sheer force of will made her feel safe, but acknowledging the event with something so...well, _normal_ she dared to say, felt very legitimizing. She had no human way to quantify Sesshomaru's power, and that made it feel omnipotent and therefore slightly unsettling. But actually filing a report, hearing about "procedures" and "protocols" had grounded her in the now.

She smiled as she pondered this later at the café with Kagome who had kept her promise and ordered her the most expensive tart available, a lemon-peach cream tart. Rin devoured it readily, savoring the taste. "Would you mind if I asked Inuyasha about all this? You know, see if the chemistry is maybe a dog-demon thing? Maybe it's part of the reason he's being so weird about having a relationship with you. Or maybe he's just afraid you won't want to date a demon?" Kagome asked, her voice muffled by her mouth full of cheesecake. Rin swallowed thickly. "I guess not. I guess Inuyasha might have some insight into his half-brother." Rin poked at her tart with her fork forlornly. "I think it's kind of obtuse of him if it had something to do with that though. I mean, come on, I interviewed him about demon social caste! I am clearly comfortable with the idea of him being one. And, in turn, comfortable with any differences in how they go about things." Rin stabbed at the tart, as if it held the answer to everything in it's creamy depths.

"Well, I'm sure he has to know you don't mind about that, but there's been some slightly odd things about Inuyasha too." Kagome poked at her chocolate cheesecake a look of confusion on her gentle face. Rin perked up. This would be the first non-saccharine thing Kagome might say about her relationship so far. She had been very open about her relationship with Inuyasha since admitting his existence, and it was always so cheery. Not that Rin wanted to hear anything troublesome, she was quite happy for her friend, but Kagome was a cynic to her core. This happy-go-lucky attitude had thrown Rin for a loop recently.

"Like what?" she prodded, trying to sound ambivalent. Kagome pouted her lip slightly, looking slightly abashed. "Well...like, what I mentioned with our first kiss. It is _completely_ unlike me to get carried away like that. Also, it's _always_ like that with him." She caught Rin's look and waved her hands. "Believe me, I am _not_ complaining, but it's just kind of...unusual for me in a relationship. I'm usually pretty distant, and well...not _forthcoming_ y'know? But with Inuyasha, I didn't even think about it, it was some deep, visceral response to just tell him everything, give him everything. I've been in love before, I've been in lust before, this is something else." Rin's felt her eyes widening as she explained. It sounded so similar to how she had felt around Sesshomaru. Almost from the first moment she had seen him. She gathered her wits, not wanting to upset Kagome by seeming upset by her confession. She knew it was hard for her to trust people.

"It's really great that you two are together though, I'm really happy for you. And I mean, seems like you'll never get tired of each other, right?" Rin giggled, and Kagome blushed lightly. "Yeah, well. Was it the same around Sesshomaru?" she asked, clearly trying to change the subject. "Yeah...I mean I almost can't help myself around him." Kagome nodded sagely. "Yep. sounds like how I feel with Inuyasha." "Huh. Maybe it is a dog demon thing then. His reluctance to be with me, despite seeming to want to. Maybe he just wants to make sure we're in a serious relationship or something first, like you and Inuyasha. Might be some kind of mating tradition, lots of demon clans had them back in the day. I suppose I'll find out Friday night." Rin finished shrugging. "Well, if it's anything to do with his 'doggy magic', make sure you shave and wear sexy panties." Kagome said casually and Rin glared at her viciously. Kagome laughed, as Rin's cheeks pinked slightly. "Yeah, well, I think I'd have to buy some anyways." she grumbled and regretted seeing Kagome perk up at this.

"No, no, that's not what I meant-!" "Nope, it's settled, I'm texting Sango now!" And sure enough she had managed to slip her phone from her bag into her hands in a blink and was typing quickly. Rin sighed and took another bite, hoping she might get a sugar boost from it. She would need the energy if Sango was going to be involved. She checked the time on her phone, while Kagome texted away. It was going on five now. She didn't have work, but she did have a test coming up. She supposed a night off from work and school wouldn't really hurt, she kept herself so focused on both for the past two years. She smiled slightly at the coquettish thought in the back of her mind that she had to find something that would leave the cocky dog demon speechless. She had declared a kind of war after all.

...

Rin collapsed onto her bed later that night. Together Sango and Kagome had taken her through three shopping centers and they had finally finished with a nice dinner. The girls had treated everything, forcing Rin's objections down with dismissive hand waves and shushes. Sango had not asked anything in detail, which led Rin to wonder if Kagome had something to do with that, but the girl had understood enough that a handsome man had swept Rin away and now she needed something sexy to wear. Sango's father was a politician, and her family was very old and very influential. She rarely mentioned it out loud, but occasionally she would buy them all dinner or a night of drinks so Rin had caught on pretty quick that she was well-off as a result.

Kagome, of course, worked full-time while going to school and had been pretty lucky to land a higher-level financial consultant job that required little commitment, and paid her well. Her mother was single and her younger brother was still in high school, so she had very little she could offer Kagome for school and living expenses. Kagome still lived at home as a result, so she could help her mom out. Kagome had mentioned the firm was hoping she would take a position there once she graduated, so they accommodated her nicely as a result, which allowed her to be a bit more free with her expenses every once in awhile. Financial backgrounds aside, both of them had spent just enough that Rin now owned a gorgeous dress with the perfect pair of shoes, a new lipstick that matched everything, and, of course, an alluring set of undergarments.

Luckily, Sango had handled that part, as Rin was still a bit too shy to be thinking of the difference between comfort and appearance (her normal choice being comfort) and something that would display her body in a flattering manner. Sango claimed that men were easy to predict, and had selected the set after displaying it to Rin and getting her agreement. Sango had assured her it would outline her "assets" perfectly. After trying on the lacy almost see-through set Rin had to agree begrudgingly. It was only Wednesday, but she wanted to hear from him. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she grabbed her phone and opened up their last correspondence.

_To: Inutaisho, Sesshomaru __tapartners _

_From: __sunflowerchild4now _

_You're a bad influence, I'll have you know._

She sent only that and bit her lip playfully flipping onto her back and awaiting his response. After a few minutes, she placed her phone down and changed into her pajamas, feeling tired. As she finished washing her face and brushing her teeth she flopped back down into her bed. She waited almost ten more minutes before sighing, more than a little disappointed, and shutting off her light curling up in bed. It only took a few moments for her eyes to drift closed and she had slipped into sleep.

She woke the next morning, and after she had dressed and prepped for the day she began packing her bag for the day. The dress hung off of her closet door and she eyed it as she unplugged her phone. It was blinking, and she tried not to get her hopes up as she hastily checked it. One new email! Okay, hopes up. She opened it and read almost greedily:

_Rin - _

_I don't feel as if I have represented myself as anything but. In this case however, I do not know which of my meticulous plans has come to fruition. Which influence have I corrupted now?_

_PS: You were up late again. This is not conducive to a healthy sleep schedule. We will have to change this._

She was again surprised that he took her bait so easily. They were actually flirting! She felt a little out of practice, but he seemed to rise to her occasion without a second thought. Is that why he hadn't answered, he had been asleep? She decided to keep him in suspense this time, and she held off on answering, instead slipping her phone in the pocket of her light jean capris. She couldn't shake her grin for more then a few moments throughout her morning, and at lunch, solitary for her today, she typed out her answer. She had been thinking about it all morning.

_Sesshomaru - _

_I skipped class to prepare for your silly "meeting"_ t_omorrow. I hope you're happy. I'm neglecting my studies to try and beat you._

_PPS: My bedtime is my own. I can sleep when I'm not distracted by mysterious demons keeping secrets _.

She was through her second lab on document preservation for the day when he answered. She felt her phone go off in her pocket and recognized the style of vibration as an email. This was her last class, so she waited until after she had returned home to check it.

_Rin - _

_Prepare how? Something like that could make my imagination run wild._

_PS: Not for much longer, if you agree_

His response immediately sent a shiver down her back, as her imagination began running wild too. The memory of his kiss had tortured her almost endlessly, particularly how he had managed to reduce her to a quivering pile with what seemed like little to no effort. She had thought that she knew how good it could be with Kaito. Ends up, she'd had _no_ idea. She threw her phone onto her bed, eyeing the dress again. She was starting to fear she may be getting herself into something she could never really understand with openly inviting him after he had reinforced his promises with the heat from his clearly-experienced mouth.

She had spoken with Kagome earlier in-between classes, wanting to compare their experiences with their doggy demons, but she had been very secretive when Rin asked if Inuyasha had offered any insight into the seeming polar attraction of their species. "No, not much." She had quipped as an unsatisfying answer. Rin knew she was not being honest, but she didn't want to push it. She couldn't deal with that right now, she had to study for the next two hours until work. She sat down at her desk and pulled her hair back into a loose bun, pulling out her laptop and opening it to her notes.

...

She received the next email while at work. She had not responded to his last one yet, and she was surprised to receive another. She felt the email notification while crouched down between two shelves, stocking cans of soup. She awkwardly pulled her phone from her pocket opened the message:

_Rin - _

_My imagination is running like a manic horse. What kept you out past your bedtime last night? _

_PS: It is best if I receive my answer in person I should think. Tomorrow is too long to wait._

Her brow furrowed as she mouthed the last words to herself. "Too long to wait. Hmph, he's so impatient!" she muttered out loud to herself, slipping her phone back into her work khakis. "Impatient is not a word typically used to describe me, but you are the one who is leaving me to my own devices." Rin squeaked and jumped at the deep rumbling voice behind her. She tipped over while still crouched on the ground, but she felt two arms slipping under her and then she was lifted so as not to topple over onto her face. He had caught her with his accelerated speed, and now held her arms tightly pulling her against his chest.

She was looking up into his eyes now, and their warm glow enveloped her as she melted into his grasp. Almost as if she had never left it. "Um...hi. What are you doing here?" she asked, cursing her inability to offer a proper greeting. '_How do we keep ending up like this?_' Her heart was pounding furiously though, and she felt it might burst if he didn't release her. "Thank you for not letting me fall, but my boss won't like you fondling his stock girl." "He wouldn't dare to tell me how to properly fondle you." She trembled as she felt the power of his voice through his chest, and her face became a riot of color at his (for some reason) stern sounding response. "If you wish for me to release you, then I shall." He added, taking notice of her pigment change bemusedly.

He loosened his grip, keeping his hands on her arms as she took control of her balance harriedly. She thought for a moment on how he had caught her so gently and carefully as if she were a priceless vase that toppled from a high shelf. How could this same man throttle the hell out of another person so thoroughly and be powerful enough to snap a grown man like a twig, but be so gentle with her? He was constantly contradicting himself.

"I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd check to see that you were not off misbehaving again." His grin was easy, his eyes teasing. Rin scoffed. "Your ideas of misbehaving are way out of whack." She crossed her arms over her chest. She hated him seeing her like this; a chaotic, clumsy mess.

She was wearing one of her sets of stained work khakis (some fated soda spill that she had yet to really scrub out), with a white polo she had borrowed from Sango when she first started with a promise of buying her own then giving it back, now beaten and frayed. She had swept her hair up into a messy ponytail her natural wavy curls kept creeping over her shoulder, and her bangs were falling into her eyes. She was sweaty and had been lifting boxes for the past hour. She wanted the tile below her to collapse so she could be swallowed by it. This was a man she had been seriously ruminating on how to actually seduce, and the day before she was going to try to do so he sees her at her worst.

She tried to fix her bangs subtly, but she stopped because his eyes had followed her hand and was watching as her fingers brushed her bangs. They glinted in the fluorescent lights above them and she could see a longing briefly in the creases that appeared in the corner of his eyes. "Hmh. Or maybe you should learn to listen to common sense." Rin, despite feeling caught completely unaware, gave him her best glare, jutting her chin in a set manner.

"I can't understand how anyone would consider dress-shopping misbehaving." "Depends on the dress, I'd think." His face was grave as he said this, the glint in his eyes seemed to be a challenge for her to offer up more information. Despite feeling like she looked like a used damp mop head, she met his gaze with metered ferocity. "Well, seems like you'll just have to wait and see what kind of dress it is." She could hear the breathy note in her voice, and had no idea she could sound like that. He took a step towards her, so they were almost touching again. "As soon as you are mine there will be no more secrets." He was growling low in his throat, and Rin tried to keep his stare.

"I'm assuming this arrangement will go both ways. If I have no secrets from you, you can also not have any from me." It felt bold somehow as she said it and she heard him growl softly. "You're making me think tomorrow can't come soon enough." He said roughly. Despite her want to be near him, in his arms again, she took two steps back, replacing the distance between them. "If there's nothing I can help you with here, I suppose I'll be seeing you tomorrow night then?" She tried to keep her voice light, but she needed him to leave before she lost her courage. '_As soon as I'm his? What the hell does he mean when he says that._' "I'll pick you up at six. Be ready." He made it sound like a command, and she rolled her eyes in response. "Right, I'll be ready, don't worry."

He turned from her and left the store as suddenly as he had appeared. He had not bought anything, which frustrated her slightly that he had obviously only come there to rattle her. As soon as he was gone, Rin felt her muscles relax. As she returned back to her stocking, she thought on how easy it was for him to make her flustered, especially after their kiss. She felt she had left a piece of her with him when he had kissed her so boldly, and it was an ache building in her slowly. And his cryptic comments.

She wanted to know, but a small part of her was intimidated by what the answer might be. It felt as if he wanted to tell her, but felt he could not. She did not want him to feel this way, and she wished he would just come out with it. Kagome's secretive behavior earlier today had only worsened her fear. She felt she was standing on the edge of a dark cavern and debating if she should jump. The bottom seemed endless and black, but she knew the answers were down there. _'It might be worth the jump…_' she thought as his golden eyes flashed before her vision, hypnotic.

...

Rin took a deep breath as she looked in the mirror. The dress fit perfectly, but she felt foreign in it. The material was thin, and it clung to her unapologetically. It dipped low in the front with a plunging neckline, a snug princess fit, and straps held the open-back of the dress in place on her frame.. The hem sat just below her thighs, and the black heels enunciated the length of her thin toned legs. She had curled her hair so that it hung gracefully around her shoulders and it framed her face giving accent to her make-up. She turned to the side, checking her profile in the dress and noted that she looked slight and delicate. She had never tried so hard, and the result was not too bad. She still felt it would be pale compared to the handsome Sesshomaru, but at least she didn't look shabby.

Objectively, she might have even accomplished her goal of living up to how she had bragged to him about tonight. She had been a wreck all day and Kagome had tried her hardest to cheer her up by distracting her, but Rin had felt miles away. Technically, Kaito had only ever taken her out once and it was out to a bar with her friends. Rin had worn a nice dress for that as well, but had put in a quarter of the effort. Remembering Kaito, and a time before he had assaulted her, caused her to tremble so she focused her mind elsewhere. She had come right home from class, cleaned her entire apartment (all two rooms), and proceeded to jump into the shower and scrub herself within an inch of her life.

She wasn't sure if he would even be coming inside, but she needed the place spotless for her own sanity. She tended to be a bit of a slob, and she didn't want him seeing this from her quite yet. She knew enough to know you kept most of your crazy inside until the other person was properly into you. Then you could let them see your flaws. Of course, she was getting a bit ahead of herself. He hadn't even called this a date, it was a _meeting_, whatever the hell that meant. She grabbed her small clutch from her bed, with only ten minutes to go. Her heart was thumping erratically in her chest, so much so that when the alert on her phone went off she jumped in fear. Gasping, she pulled it from her bag and checked her messages. It was Sango, asking for pictures of her all dressed up for her date. Rin took a quick picture of her reflection, only getting the dress and excluding her face. She didn't want Sango to see too much of her effort, it felt a little too revealing somehow.

"_Wow damn girl, I have such great taste! Knock em dead! And remember, use protection!"_

Rin huffed at her friends response, shaking her head. Of course, if she hadn't been wanting something to happen why had she let Sango purchase her the over-the-top underwear set? At least she'd have something nice to wear when she wanted to feel sexy, she supposed. That was how she chose to justify it. Besides, she felt the confidence boost (and boost of literal support in this case) would serve her well for tonight. She had no idea what to expect, and had no experience in such matters. The knock at the door made her jump again, and she cursed at herself for being so timid. She took a deep breath, gathered the vestiges of her courage, and answered it.

Sesshomaru stood in her doorway, looking picturesque and dashing. He robbed her breath from her as his eyes swept up and down her and hers surveyed him in kind. He was wearing a crisp white button-up shirt, with the top two buttons loosed so that she could just see the smooth skin of his neck and collarbone. A loose suit-jacket, also unbuttoned and sharp grey slacks. This was the second most casually dressed she had seen him. Even when he had visited her the other day at the store he had been in an expensive suit, this was almost refreshing. The first most casual being in the hotel when he wore a simple cotton shirt and baggy sweatpants.

She instantly felt over-dressed however, and her face colored as his eyes moved up her body slowly, seemingly taking in every detail. She felt their heat and intensity, almost as if he were running his hands over her instead of his golden orbs. "I would definitely call this dress misbehaving. You look stunning." "T-Thank you." Rin tried to control her stutter, but her tongue felt clumsy in her mouth. "You clean up rather nicely yourself. You barely look like an elitist in that." At least she could still tease him, that was a win. He smirked in response to that, and then slipped an arm casually around her waist and pulled her out of her doorway and into the hall. "Make sure to lock it behind you, this isn't the best neighbourhood." he whispered into her ear, and her senses lit up with his closeness and his warm breath as it feathered across her earlobe.

"My neighborhood is fine, you're just a bad judge of social norms is all." She pulled her keys from her clutch and locked her door, needing to wiggle away from him a bit to reach the lock. "This is how the underlings live." she added sarcastically. His hand squeezed her side sharply as she tried to wiggle away, and when she was finished he pulled her back to his side. "Which reminds me, I never gave you my address, how did you find it?" She had been wanting to ask the question all day, but had waited to see if he would ask her. When he hadn't, she felt he was only trying to be mercurial again. "I make it my job to know such things." His answer was just as ambiguous as he was. "Yes, well, some might consider it stalking you know." He stopped, turned and stood in front of her so he could look down into her eyes. Rin's heart skipped a beat at their closeness again.

"I know this all must seem very odd to you, but I have a very specific way of doing things. I promise it will all make sense soon." "Um, okay." He had become very serious yet again as he spoke of '_it_', and she could see how he could be found intimidating. "Until then, let's have some dinner. I'm assuming you haven't eaten yet?" His features lightened again, and the hard edge disappeared from his eyes. Rin shook her head no, and let him lead her downstairs and out the door.

...

The car drive was relatively quiet. He had the radio on, and soft jazz played through the speakers of his Audi. This was a different car from the one she had seen at the restaurant, (which was the one he had driven her home with last week) but again, he was one of the richest men in the country. She doubted he had only one sports car. Unsure how she felt about that, Rin instead watched the lights of the city stream by them buckled securely into the bucket seat. He had held the door for her and insisted on securing her belt for her. She had found it a bit overbearing, but had let him, making a sly comment on his need to control everything. He had ignored this, and closed the door sharply.

Rin's eyes kept creeping to him when she could, taking in as much as she could. He wasn't giving her much, his features steady and his lips set, but she felt he looked almost relaxed. The silence was comfortable, but Rin soon found herself worrying about the etiquette of how to begin a conversation with him. The interview had been easy, she had a list of queries for that and it had kept them busy. He had been relatively approachable during the interview, and she had been immensely relieved by this. He seemed to keep his life to himself for the most part, at least according to the internet, and had little to no social presence aside from being a minor curiosity to the press. He was rarely seen in court, so it seems he ran his firm from behind a veil of convenience.

She began scanning her mind for anything that might be a topic of interest for him, but before she could think of anything he pulled up to a curb and threw it in park. Rin peeked out the window, having lost track of where they were headed. Before her was the towering Inutaisho Tower apartment building, built by Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father who dabbled in bonds and property management. It housed some of the richest people in the country, with some of the most extravagant apartments in the country. A young boy came rushing out and bowed low to Sesshomaru. "Sir, it's good to see you, I can take your keys for you." Sesshomaru said nothing to the boy, but handed him the keys. Rin unbuckled herself, and took Sesshomaru's hand as he helped her out of the deep seat. The boy blinked at her, obviously surprised to see Sesshomaru with someone. Sesshomaru cleared his throat curtly and said in response to him eyeing Rin closely: "If you'd like to keep your job I suggest you get to it immediately." Rin saw the boy jump and apologize profusely as Sesshomaru led her by her hand to the lavish entrance.

Once inside she took in the lobby and felt her mouth hanging open slightly. She had never been in such a distinguished looking establishment before, and the beauty of it took her breath away. Sesshomaru barely paused, leading her to a row of golden elevators behind the main desk against the right wall. Two of the women at the front desk watched them subtly, but Rin noticed their sneaky glances. Clearly, Sesshomaru did not normally have guests, and this caused quite the disturbance in those around him. He seemed to not take notice however, and led her fearlessly into the elevator as it dinged softly on arrival and the doors slid open. He entered a code into the electronic display in the elevator and it began to whisk upwards.

"Do you live here?" Rin asked, hearing the wonder in her voice. "This is one of my residences. I felt it best to keep this as private as possible, and this location seemed the most seclusive for that." He had let go of her hand upon entering the elevator, and his voice was brisk and formal. Rin's mind began whirling again. '_He's taking me right to his place?! Oh man, what did I get myself into?_' "Yes, I suppose so, it might not look too good if a demon rights advocate was seen out with a human girl." She knew she sounded hurt, but she wasn't sure if she was being snarky out of fear of being alone in his home with him or actually feeling that he was ashamed of her. He smirked slightly and she wondered if he had seen right through her snark.

"It seems I just continue to dig myself into a hole of contempt with you, don't I?" "Maybe if you weren't so bossy I wouldn't need to feel contempt." Rin shot back. "Yes, well, I would mostly prefer to be the only one to be able to look at you. That dress will call a lot of attention, and I don't let strangers look upon what is mine." Rin was unsure how to answer, and luckily, the elevator came to a stop just then. The doors opened, and he motioned for her to exit, his eyes shimmering.

Before her was his apartment, and the size of it daunted her for a moment. It was wide and open and clearly designed for utility. There were two tiered floors, and a spiral staircase indicated there was a second floor as well. While not overly-lavished, from the entryway she could see it was fully-furnished and spotless. Her eyes were inexorably drawn to the line of windows, and the view of the city beyond them. On the raised floor before them was a long rectangle of a rich oak table, fully dressed with a steaming meal. She could not make out the details of what was on the plates for the apartment was dimly lit from overhead lights and the only real source of illumination came from two ornate candlesticks lit on the table.

Rin entered into the open space, her head turning in all directions as she took in her surroundings. To her left was a small carpeted area, an expensive television mounted on the wall in front of a grey couch that wrapped around the area, effectively separating it from the rest of the large room. At least four of her apartments could fit in the main area alone! "Dinner awaits." Rin jumped as Sesshomaru leaned down and whispered softly into her ear, his voice purring. He prowled around her and she followed in his wake, slightly dazed.

He led her to the end of the table, and pulled out one of the two chairs for her. Rin took a seat, and eyed the food on the plate before her. Sesshomaru took his seat on the opposite end of the table and watched her as she eyed the food. The shadows from the two candlesticks on the table accentuated his masculine features, and brought out the sparks of amber in his eyes. "Please, eat. My cook was ecstatic to finally have something to do. He may have gone a bit overboard though." "No, it looks wonderful. Thank you." Rin interjected, overcome by the glamor of the meal before her. On her plate was what looked like sea urchin pasta in a light cream sauce. It smelled divine, and Rin picked up her fork, taking a small portion and eating it. She was no foodie to be sure, but her appetite was infamous amongst her friends. She always had a weakness for good food, and was delighted upon learning that Kohaku, Shippo's boyfriend, was a culinary major and one of the best chefs she had ever met.

The flavors rolled over her tongue as she took time to let them, and she closed her eyes enjoying the taste. "It's amazing!" she exclaimed as she swallowed. He was watching her closely, and she saw a flash of red in his eyes, more obvious in the candlelight at her praise. "Good. I will have to pass on your compliments." he answered, looking pleased with her response, and took a bite from his own plate. "The view is astounding from here." Rin added, before taking another bite. The whole city was sprawled out next to her, and the light it provided was quite romantic, she had to admit.

"I suppose it is. I always feel a bit crowded in the city, I sometimes forget to admire it." Rin took another bite, trying to restrain herself from devouring the pasta. She wanted to still appear as ladylike as she could for now. They lapsed into silence again, Rin happily enjoying her meal and Sesshomaru carefully eating his. "For being a meeting and not a date, this is quite the romantic setup." Rin spoke up. Although the silence between them was not tense at all, she had been in a tizzy all week about the meaning of this get-together. Now that she had him face-to-face, she was ready for some explanations to his odd behavior.

His eyes became grave again, and he placed his fork down. "I promised you answers, and I intend to deliver them." Rin stopped eating and kept his eyes tightly, wanting him to know he had her full attention. "Yes, you did promise. I am a bit confused Sesshomaru, you seem so reluctant to acknowledge any romantic implications to this and yet you seem to be trying to woo me." "'Woo' you?" She could hear the humor in his voice, as he cocked an eyebrow at her nomenclature. "For being so young you seem to have the vocabulary of one far older." "Yes, well, for being so old you seem to have plenty of secrets it seems." Rin crossed her arms across her chest, slightly stung by him mentioning her age.

"My age is only indicative of my experience." She could hear the implication in his rumbling voice, and it was enough to make her break her eye contact with him, her face coloring slightly. '_Damn him!_' she cursed, hating that she was so unsettled by what he was hinting at. "I do have some secrets however," he continued, in a drawl "and I intend to make specific ones clear to you. So that you can understand what I consider...romantic." Rin looked back to him, but his face was a mask of indifference to her now.

"Seeing as how you have studied demon culture in detail, I'm sure you know that by nature we tend to be...more intense than humans in every way." His voice was metered, and she clenched her hands together in her lap, waiting for him to go on. He did, at length. "Daiyoukai are more enhanced in this effect, most particularly when it comes to _romantic_ entanglements. My kind tend to be possessive, controlling-" he paused for a moment for effect, and Rin felt herself hanging onto his next word "-_domineering_." He hissed this last word, as growl slipped from between his teeth, and she felt layers of meaning throughout it. The silence fell heavily this time. After a moment of this tense silence, he continued. "As a result, we do not form relationships in the same way as you may be accustomed to. More specifically _I_ do not have relationships in a way that would be considered typical of most demons, nor anything even resembling what most humans consider normal."

He stopped again, and Rin tried to absorb this information. She felt he was skirting around what he meant to say, and she was unaware of what he was implying. "So...what, you don't date? Are you saying you're just looking for a one-night stand?" She winced as she asked, knowing how crude it sounded, but she was at a loss for what he was really trying to tell her. "No Rin. I don't do one-night stands. I mean...when I form a relationship with a woman, it's more of an...agreement." She felt her eyebrow rising at this term. "'Agreement'? What sort of "agreement"?" Her voice was dubious now. If his face wasn't so cold she may have thought he was struggling with his response, but he delivered it smoothly.

"I take a woman, with her agreement, in a very particular kind of role for sexual fulfillment. She agrees to be subservient to me, to serve me in whatever way I desire." Okay, she was officially lost now. "I'm sorry, I don't think I understand what you're saying." "What I'm saying, Rin, is that as a result of my heritage my tastes are very linear. I don't date, I don't have lovers, I have what is called a submissive. And I am what is called a dominant." It was as if a lightbulb had gone off in Rin's brain as he finished speaking.

The hush that had fallen at the end of his speech hung heavily, and the very air felt charged with a tenseness that seemed to radiate off of Sesshomaru. It occurred to her that this must be difficult for him to admit, considered what "_it_" was. She struggled with how to respond to this, knowing she needed to. But, she had no knowledge on this topic, and quite frankly this was probably one of the last things she had expected "_it_" to have been. Luckily, Sesshomaru chose to continue.

"I have never entered this type of relationship with a human before, and as a result, there would be certain steps that we would need to take. To ensure that you understand what this would mean." "Wait, so you're telling me you want to be with me, but only if I'm your..._sex slave_?" It burst from her, incredulous. She was so overwhelmed by his confession she had lost any sense of tact.

"No, not quite a slave. You would be treated with the utmost care, and your every need would be seen to." He sat back in his chair and spoke calmly, now that she had finally reacted. "But I would be expected to obey you, do whatever you wanted." "Yes, but only things with your explicit consent. I do not wish to force anyone to do anything they are not completely comfortable with, I do not find such things pleasurable. This would be part of the arrangements that would be made." Rin's head was spinning. "I don't understand what you mean when you keep saying 'arrangements'." She struggled to understand as much of what he was saying as she could.

"It would be a contract of sorts. We would go over all aspects of it, and we would both sign it, and this would be the agreements of what we both expect to happen." Rin felt her mouth fall open. "_A contract_?" "Of sorts, yes." She couldn't take this, it was too much. She stood suddenly and stepped away from the table. "I don't think I completely understand this, but a contract can't define a relationship, there's so much more to it, and this is just getting crazy. I'm sorry Sesshomaru, but I don't see what how I would really benefit from something like this." Her words were harsh, she could feel it, but she has definitely jumped into a cavern of crazy, and her instincts were screaming for her to flee. She turned from the table, turning her back on him, and tried to leave.

In a streak of movement he flew to her and took her by her arms as his lips descended on hers in a flurry of passion. As soon as their lips made contact, the colors exploded behind Rin's lids again, which squeezed shut on some kind of impulse she didn't have time to analyze. She was instantly frozen held tightly in his grip, and his smell his strong lips, put her whirling mind into an instant haze. He seemed to drink her, much like their kiss in the elevator. This was different in that she had not seen this coming. And she didn't notice the exact moment when she had given in completely to his mouth like the other two times.

His hand slipped around her waist, and his other slid into her hair again using it to pull her small form into his much larger one. Her hands fell onto his chest, completely helpless. The liquid heat poured from where their lips met this time through her veins and down her entire body until her toes were tingling with it. He deepened the kiss, his tongue parting her lips expertly, and he was inside the warm cavern of her mouth exploring every inch of her and pulling her tongue into an ancient dance. A small moan seeped from her throat as he slipped his tongue over hers sweetly, the kiss softening with his entrance. She felt his muscles tense under her hands, and she knew her moan had done that to him.

Something powerful overtook her at eliciting such an obvious primal response from him, and she found her tongue emboldened. She had made-out with Kaito like this, but that seemed clumsy and lifeless compared to this and it struck her once again how inexperienced she was. Kissing had never felt this..._natural_, she didn't know it could feel natural. She felt the tingling heat in the pit of her stomach, moving downwards again, coming to pool in her thighs once more as he continued to massage her mouth with his strong tongue. She began trying to return the ministrations with her own mouth, feeling she needed to follow through on her feeling of inexperience. She did know _some_ tricks. She heard a low rumble resonate from his throat as she began to fully participate in the kiss. She knew she couldn't match his obvious skill, but she wanted to taste him the way he did her.

His hand on her waist slipped upwards, and his grip on her hair tightened, tipping her head back and giving him more access to her mouth and throat as he deepened the kiss again, drinking her like a man dying of thirst. She felt another surge of pride at her ability to get him to up his ante, as she had promised. His fingers were ghosting over the bare skin of her back, and this caused her back to arch deliciously pushing her so tightly against him she could feel the strength of his body compared to her own. Her legs became weak as his fingers continued to tease her bare skin by trailing over it like a whisper. A gasp slipped from her lips as his touch increased the heat pooled in her thighs, bringing it to a fevered pitch, and suddenly he was gone from her.

Her body was instantly freezing without his warmth wrapped around her, and her mouth felt empty without his. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed. The fire in her belly was slowly fading too. It took her a moment to remember how to breathe, and when she did it came in small gasps that were almost painful to her tight lungs. She clasped her hands to her chest, trying to regain control of her body as the dreamy haze lifted from her mind. Sesshomaru spoke, his voice seeming to ring in her ears. "What you would get out of this, Rin, as I mentioned before, is me. You would have all of me." As Rin's consciousness returned to her control, she looked to him. His face was unveiled to her, as it had been for a moment in the restaurant, and she saw his eyes had that intense red tint to them, swirling in with the gold. It was a mesmerizing effect, and she was captured by them. He didn't look quite as disheveled as she was, but he radiated a tension like a wire pulled taut ready to snap. Softly, her voice slightly hoarse, she responded: "Tell me more."

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A/N2: Hi everybody! Sorry about the earlier post with the formatting error, ffnet doesn't seem to like my previous format. Guess that's what happens when you have a company run mostly by illegally-working minors O.o Just wanted to take a second here to thank the reviewers, all of you, especially for the affirmation that this is basically Fitty Shades. Thanks for being firm, because I was so indecisive XP Helped me to write more though, what with having something more concrete to base it all on. I've read the books and seen the movies, but I don't remember much tbh. To freakin'love-sesshourin, stick around the sub/dom is the content I'm trying to focus on more :D And to every other review (I'd love to list all of you) you all made me smile and gave me inspiration through this whole process. Same to the followers/favorites, you all do me a grace I do not deserve. All the heart emoticons right hur:

And T-Bone, as usual

XOXO - Scatterkitteh


	5. Chapter 5: Stranger Than Earth

A/N: Mhmm, next chapter! Again, I cannot promise there will be much coming after this (or that it at least won't take AWHILE), but let's just see how it goes. Oh, also: THERE WILL BE DETAILED SEXUAL CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER. Please oh please don't read it if you're not interested...of course, what did you expect picking the "M" rating...but still, warning given. There will be a divider near it so you can skip if you wish. Anyways, onwards!

**Chapter Five:**

**Stranger Than Earth**

"_There was a stagger that shifted my hips_

_Oh, how swiftly it shook the dew from my lips_

_There was a danger that seeped from my skull_

_How it dripped on us all but it wasn't your fault_

_We are stranger than Earth with the seasons misled_

_Stronger than the moons_

_When our parts parted she bled and bled and bled_

_I wasn't thinkin' 'bout you…"_

* * *

There was silence for a moment in which Rin wanted to feel he was trying to regain his bearings as much as she was. It was so hard to be sure about anything with him. Finally, he exhaled and nodded. "It may be better if I show you. Come with me." He was gravely serious again and he extended his hand for her to take it. Rin could feel she was still trembling, but she took his firm hand and he led her away from the table, up the spiral staircase to the top where a blackened hallway stretched before them. He flipped a switch on the left wall, and the hallway was suddenly lit.

There was one room at the end of the hallway, and two rooms on the left wall. The first door looked normal, as did the one at the end of the hallway. The room between the two however seemed different. For one there were two doors, which seemed to open inwards. They were lined with crimson padding, and reminded her of the red his eyes changed to when he was angry or...aroused.

"This" he growled, leaning around her and pulling a key from his pocket, slipping it into the thick lock on the door. "Is my Playroom." She heard the click of the lock and he gave her a quick glance before he pushed one door open. Rin felt nervous as she looked inside, but she took a step into the room despite her fluttering nerves. The lights must have been motion-activated because they came on when she entered.

There were many things throughout this room, and it was much larger on the inside than it looked from the outside. On the right wall were wall-mounted racks all holding different items. In the center of the room was a wooden structure of some kind, and in the left corner of the room was something Rin actually recognized. A bed, with black drapings and red silk sheets. There was an ornate chest at the foot of the circular bed, but it was currently closed. The walls looked plush, padded she assumed and most likely sound-proofed. She stood in the doorway looking around before she made her way inside.

Sesshomaru leaned against the still-closed door, and she could feel him watching her. She approached the wall, and ran her fingers over what looked like an assortment of whips. "Those are my whips. Different sizes and materials." Rin dropped her hand as he offered the explanation and nodded. She moved down the wall, eyeing all of the items. "That's a suede cattail." Rin nodded again. "Those are various paddles." Rin stopped. "P-Paddles?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Yes. They're used for spanking. Different materials cause different...sensations." "Oh." she answered and moved away from the wall to the wooden contraption. "That's a bondage rack. It's used for binding the submissive in different positions." He spoke so calmly, so matter-of-fact.

Rin ran her hand down the side of one of the wooden beams then made her way to the chest. The bed had poles at the top and bottom, and she turned back to him in the doorway. He was watching her, his face stony. "The poles are also for bondage. As for the chest, well, that's where I keep my other toys. Bondage material and the like." Rin nodded again, not quite having a response for all of this. "I see." she supplied, and made her way back to the door.

"If you agreed, we would go over the various items in this room and only choose things you are comfortable with." She couldn't meet his eyes, standing next to him in the doorway. She nodded instead. "One last thing to show you." She wasn't sure if he could tell she was overwhelmed, but he stepped back into the hallway and closed and locked the door. The room next to the Playroom was a bedroom and he opened the door slowly. No lock on this one.

The walls, sheets and linens were all a light blue, and it was comforting to Rin compared to the dimness of the Playroom. "This would be your room. You would stay here with me on weekends, we could work out a schedule in our contract, and you would sleep here. Everything would be provided for you, and the room is already as comfortable for you as I could make it."

"H-How did you know my favorite color?" she asked perplexed, finally finding her speech again. He wasn't looking at her, the first time since the Playroom. "I make it my responsibility to know as much as I can about prospective submissives." "Oh." Again, she had little to no words. He was watching her again, and he looked unsettled at her blank expression. "Let's go back downstairs for now." He placed a hand on her waist and led her back down the stairs and to the table, sitting her down and taking his seat again. Rin noticed the plates were gone, and he supplied the answer to her unasked question: "I have a few people I hire to take care of this place, clean cook etcetera. They are silent and almost invisible, all signed NDA's of the strictest wording." Silence fell for a few moments, and Rin felt her mind picking apart details from everything she had heard and seen over the past half-hour.

"So...this is how you have relationships? The other has to be a slave to you? You have to hurt them to get off?" Sesshomaru sighed heartily. "Not a _slave_ a submissive. Slaves don't usually have the ability to say no or have a choice. And yes. This is the only way I can be intimate with another person. And in the past only demon women. And it's not about the pain I can cause, you've done enough research on demons to know I don't need whips to cause pain, it's more about the ultimate trust that comes with the submissive giving up their control to me." There was more silence as Rin thought on this some more.

"This is all outlined in the contract, of course. And you would have every ability to ask anything of me as well. It is not a one-way deal. You would feel pleasure Rin, unlike you have ever known before. I will make you scream, I will make you beg for more. And you will have me. At your disposal." "This is what you meant when you said you were worried about me being human, that I wouldn't be able to handle this. Why then? Why me?" She looked back to him, her eyes fiery, and was surprised to see he looked clearly akin to uncomfortable for once. "Yes. That was my main worry with you, but the contract has been made to accommodate the difference between demons and humans. Also...the submissive role tends to attract a certain kind of individual, with specific tastes. Your personality does not quite match that. It will, also, be a learning experience for me as a dominant. Which only makes you even more intriguing, to be honest." He wasn't meeting her eyes, and Rin could tell that wasn't the whole truth. Sometimes, rarely, he was easy for her to read. "You didn't really answer my question. Why _me_? You could've had any woman, with your money and looks any human woman would be happy to throw themselves at you, but why choose me?"

It was clear he was perturbed by this line of questioning, his eyes focused on the table where he had entwined his hands. "I had thought my dim-witted half-brother would have explained to the other girl, your friend Kagome, by now and that you would know. It puts me in an awkward spot to define it to you." "Yes, well, all of this has been a bit awkward for me don't you think? I mean, I've never been with anyone physically, much less investigated the kinky stuff-" "What did you just say?" He interrupted her, his eyes flicking to her with her own confession, and they were dark, his face almost surprised. Rin flushed deeply, realizing what she had admitted.

She had not wanted to mention to him at all that she was a virgin, seeing as how he was clearly so experienced, but it had just slipped out. She had hoped to wait until the last moment, if it ever got that far. But his admission and seeing the Playroom had scrambled her brain, and it seemed like something she could no longer pretend wasn't real. "I-I've never been with anyone before. I mean, I've kissed a boy before, Kaito, but I just never...felt like I found the right person." She avoided his eyes while she spoke, until she heard him push away from the table and stand. He came over to her and knelt down in front of her. "I had no idea, I just assumed, a girl as beautiful as you that men would've been all over you." She let her eyes meet his, and the veil around his emotions seemed to have dropped. He looked surprised and joyful. "No, no one ever seemed interested enough…" she answered hesitantly now unsure of how to react to his response.

He let out a chuckle. "I think they were, but I think you were just too busy waiting to notice." "Waiting? What, for you?" He allowed himself a cocky grin, one of his fangs popping out from his top lip. She tried to resist how charming it was somehow. He took her hands and pulled her up from her seat. She tilted her head back to keep eye contact with him. His eyes were glittering, his grin fading. "Where have you been all my life Rin? You're simply perfect in every way." She didn't know how to respond to this either, her lips parted slightly in shock. Thankfully, she didn't need to.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, then scooped her up easily and began carrying her back up the stairs. "W-What are you doing?!" she cried as he topped the staircase. "Fixing this little problem. No wonder you were so shocked, you're an innocent." "Problem? I'm not a problem-" "No, you're not, you're perfect for me." He opened the door at the end of the hallway, into his room, and then closed it with a light tap of his foot square in the center of the door.

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NC-17 CONTENT TO FOLLOW, SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT DIVIDER IF YOU WISH TO SKIP!

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He placed her onto a king-sized bed in the center of the room, with a gray comforter and white sheets. Rin lay there, admiring how soft the comforter and bed were, until he moved around it and removed his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt. She was riveted as each button came undone, exposing more of his broad chest and pearly skin. Then it was fully unbuttoned and he shed it to the ground. Rin hoped she wasn't literally drooling at his physique, but it _was_ perfect. He pulled the tie from his hair, and it fell around him. She wanted so badly to touch that hair. He looked over to her as he took hold of the comforter and pulled it out from under her swiftly. Rin made a surprised cry as he removed it, shocked he didn't take her with it.

He moved onto the bed, until he was on top of her and his mouth was crashing down onto hers. His elbows on either side of her head, he dug both of his hands into her hair, pulling her neck taut again as his tongue began to pillage her suddenly wanton mouth. Her hands, trembling slightly from the waves of pleasure, reached out towards his abdomen, wishing to touch his skin. Her fingertips grazed over his stomach and he broke their kiss for a moment to hiss and growl at her. Through her haze she noticed his eyes, gold fighting crimson, and she wondered if her touching him was causing that. She wanted to know everything about how to make those colors duel in his eyes.

One of his hands broke from her hair to slide down her neck. His hands were so much larger than hers! He began pecking her lips with chaste kisses as his hand moved down to the plunging neckline of her dress. Rin felt a tremor of fear through her stomach as she realized what he was about to do. He moved his lips to her ear, the hand still in her hair sweeping it over in a graceful movement. He used the tip of his tongue to lightly trace her outer earlobe, and Rin, never having felt this before, let out a small gasp of pleasure. "Be calm little Rin." he whispered into her ear, then the hand on her chest slipped under her dress and skirted over her breast. Rin felt her back arch off of the bed and she let out a loud moan this time. She was a little shocked with herself at how violently she reacted to him touching her. He hadn't even removed her clothes yet. She heard him moan lightly in response to her noises, then he bit her earlobe gently.

Rin writhed under him, her hands gripping around his waist. His lips moved away from her ear, his hand still in her dress, long nails running over her bra cupping occasionally and teasing her nipple through the sheer fabric. He kissed down her cheekbone and then to her neck. As he moved his lips down, his hand slipped from her breast and moved down to her hip, which he gripped hard, pushing her down into the bed. He reached her collar-bone, his kisses becoming increasingly more intense and hot, and the hand still wrapped in her hair left it. He bit on her collarbone gently and Rin whimpered.

Then he was gone. Rin's eyes opened, shocked. He had moved to his bureau, just across from the bed and seemed to be removing something from one of the drawers. He returned less than a second later, standing over her on the bed. His eyes, still swimming with crimson and gold, moved from her tousled hair, down her prone body on the bed. "Give me your hands." Rin looked to him, face red, panting. "Now." Something in her called to obey, so she held out her hands to him. He took them, and began using one of his ties binding her wrists efficiently. He took his time binding her, seemingly enjoying the practice, and once he was done, he moved back onto the bed placing her hands, now bound, over her head. It was similar to their position in the elevator (which now made a lot more sense), except they were lying down this time. "Keep those there." Rin's eyes were wide as he ordered her in a low growl again. This must be what it will be like, if she signed his contract. She...liked it. So far anyways.

He straddled her this time, and held her hands over her head. He looked down on her, obviously admiring her, before he used his free hand to skim down her side. When he reached the hem of her dress, it dipped back up and found the ties of the open-back. She heard a ripping of fabric as he used one elongated nail to slice through the straps that held it together. Rin didn't even care that the dress was expensive and a gift, her skin was vibrating with a need for him to remove the dress. A fleeting thought of nervousness overcame her, as the last strap was removed, about being seen completely naked. Only the girls in her high school locker room and Kaede had ever really seen her completely exposed, and she desperately hoped she could look as good as he did...or at least good to him. Hopefully Sango's picks would stand-up to his inspection.

He took her mouth again fully, his tongue teasing the corners of her mouth and pulling another light moan of pleasure from her. Then she felt the hand that had sliced through the straps circle around her neck, squeezing gently. Rin gasped, breaking their kiss, and saw his lips cocked in a devilish grin. The hand loosened briefly, then expertly sliced the tie that kept the flimsy dress still secured around her neck. Like that, the last barrier that had kept her modesty intact was gone.

He leaned away from her and looked down on her again. Rin squirmed slightly, her hands still tied above her head. "Keep those hands in place." His voice was a sexy, yet firm, purr, and Rin felt the heat between her thighs spiked. She nodded, biting her lip with her frustration. Then he used one hand to grip the fabric near her stomach and with an elegant pull, ripped the dress clean off. Rin was left in nothing but her underwear in front of the sexiest man she had ever seen. Reflexively, she moved her hands to cover herself, but Sesshomaru leaned back and grabbed her bound wrists harshly, pushing them back into the bed. "I said to keep them there." He sounded intimidating, almost a little threatening, this time, and Rin nodded, her eyes closed with the panic of her exposure.

"Hmm...these aren't the type of garments an innocent wears…" He chuckled, and his free hand slipped around her back lifting her slightly and expertly removing her bra, unhooking it then pulling it up over her bound hands, carelessly tossing it to the side. Both of his hands gripped her waist now, and his lips landed back on her neck, kissing sweetly and softly. "You're so beautiful Rin, so perfect." His tone was longing, and the heat of his breath made her body tremble again.

His lips moved lower, beyond her collar bone and kissed down the top of her right breast. The kisses became hotter, more fierce until he found her nipple and sucked it into his mouth. Rin cried out, her hips and back leaving the bed as the ecstacy swept over her. He used his tongue to play with her nipple, and then he bit down. Rin cried out in pain, and he released her breast, cupping it in his hand. His mouth moved to her other breast and repeated the process. Rin felt the pressure in her building furiously. Something was crying out for more, and he must have known because the next time she opened her eyes he had removed his pants. She could see him now and her eyes widened. "Oh, um…" she couldn't help it, it just slipped from her lips in reaction to his nakedness. He had shed his underwear as well, and she could see his full length now. His mouth left her breast and he gave her a sly grin. "Don't worry little Rin, I'll be gentle with you. This time anyways."

Then his hand slipped down her stomach, and his fingers pinched her silky panties. He used one hand to lift her up by scooping her rump and lifting it upwards as he removed her panties. He laid her back down, and Rin felt another impulse to hide. She clenched her legs together, nervous. He sat back again, straddling her thighs and his eyes moved down her body again. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…" She met his eyes, and saw they had shifted back to mostly gold as he said this. The sincerity and intensity she saw there comforted her in a way she had never felt before. She had been called beautiful tons of times by men and her friends, but this felt more real than ever before.

Her legs loosened and spread slightly for him. He noticed this and the crimson slipped back in, darker than ever. One hand moved back to her waist, gripping it hard and the other began trailing up her inner thigh. She tensed once more just before his finger found her and gently entered. "Oh, Rin…" he whispered as Rin felt herself melt at his intimate touch. His pointer and middle finger slid up and down her lips, her moisture more than apt for him to play with her. Which he did, teasing around her entrance and finally finding the sensitive bud at the top of her. When he discovered this Rin cried out, her loudest yet, and he growled again.

Her head thrashed from side to side, but he hand on her thigh kept her bottom half still for him. The pressure was building inside of her as his two fingers patiently worked her. She was close, close to something she didn't quite understand (except from educational material, of course), and just as she felt a tight clench building inside of herself he slipped his pointer finger into her entrance, and his mouth descended onto her left nipple, biting it hard. As his finger slipped into her she screamed as she felt the clench, so tightly inside, close around his long finger, and her legs began shaking. Him biting on her nipple made her spasm as she came. It lasted for close to a minute, the tightness in her trembling in waves until it ended and her backside fell back to the bed, her head thrown back with her mouth open and eyes clenched closed, fell forward onto her chest.

He released her nipple, waited a moment, then slipped his other finger into her. His pointer finger was only half inside of her she realized, which already was a bit painful as she tried to stretch to meet it, but when he inserted his second finger he moved both deep inside of her. Another quick sting, and she tensed, causing him to stop and wait. He began kissing her again, and he whispered against her lips: "Relax little Rin, just relax…" She opened her eyes to meet his for the first time since her first orgasm. The crimson was still there, but he seemed to be controlling it. His face was sweet and comforting, so she took his advice and took a deep breath, relaxing her muscles.

He gave her a soft yet deep kiss and began moving his fingers. In and out of her then stroking her inside. His kiss distracted her from the minor jabs of pain, which slowly disappeared. By the time it had, he had found a spot deep inside of her and as he massaged it, Rin broke their kiss by crying out so loudly she was sure the whole building heard her. "Hmm...found the spot, have I?" Rin, who had thrown her head back with her shout, looked back to him, still straddling her.

The crimson was back, and it was even darker than its previous incarnations. "W-What spot?" she asked, and in answer her chuckled and pressed on it hard inside of her. Her whole body went rigid, her back arched off of the bed and her head fell back against the bed again, the noise bursting from her lips sounded wanton and unrestricted. She came instantly, lights bursting behind her eyelids, her whole body shaking. This one took a bit longer to fade, the waves of tension and pleasure rolling over her so intensely, she made quite a few more noises just to stop from the feeling she might actually lose her mind. It felt like she genuinely would.

He continued to mind the spot inside of her as she came, and she knew this must have been why it lasted so long. As it ended, he slipped his fingers from her and got off of her again to grab something off of his dresser. She moaned in disappointment as his fingers left her, and was immediately embarrassed by her noise. She watched as he pulled a small foil package from atop his dresser and ripped it open with his teeth, then pulled a condom from it. '_This is it…_' she found herself thinking. She felt exhausted already, just with the way he had played with her. Actual sex, she had no idea what to expect.

She wished she could touch him, play with him the way he had with her. Having never seen a male bare before she was surprised by how attractive she found him and...well, she had no idea how he would fit _that_ inside of her. He was huge! As he slid the condom down his thick member, he turned back to her and the predator she had seen so many times was there as he covered her on the bed. His elbows supported himself on either side of her face same as when this had started, and his hands knotted in her hair again.

She felt the tip of his member near her entrance. He cradled her face letting loose her hair, and looked deeply into her eyes. He didn't say anything, but slipped the tip of himself into her. She gasped, her eyes wide, as she felt the heat of him. He was still holding her face close, and his grip tightened as he closed his eyes tightly. It seemed as if he were a bow string pulled taut. He slipped a bit more of himself in, ever-so-slowly, and Rin held back a cry of pain. It wasn't as bad as she had feared a second ago, she knew he had used his fingers to prepare her, and it had worked she assumed.

He was halfway inside her at this point, and the pain was quickly turning to pleasure. Then, he plunged into her, burying himself so deeply, Rin felt like she would burst. "Aaah!" she screamed, and his hands gripped her around her waist, releasing her face too quick for her to register, as he held himself there letting her body adjust to his thickness. She whimpered, and then the whimpers turned to moans, and she tried moving her hips to let him know she wanted more.

His eyes finally flew open, and they were pure red. His face had warped into something barbaric and primal. The demon that had almost ripped Kaito to pieces. '_So this is his demon..._' This was him at his worst, and she wasn't afraid. He pulled out of her slightly, making her gasp, then dove back in again. Rin responded by moaning softly. He pulled out and in a few more times, letting her adjust, then he lifted her off of the bed by her waist and plunged into her fast and smooth. He was getting so deep, and the pressure building felt more powerful than any other time before. It was a slow building, and the feeling of him being so close to her, being inside of her, added a mental high that she had not known about.

He released her waist, let her body fall to the bed and then his mouth descended on hers again, his tongue mimicking his members activities. She felt his tongue claiming her, just as he claimed her physically. Rin wrapped her legs around his waist impulsively, and he growled in an almost threatening way into her mouth. His hands then wrapped around her back and pulled her body flush against him, almost as if he were trying to pull her into him, up and off of the bed completely. His speed increased, pumping harder than before. Rin placed a few kisses on his neck, which was the only part of him she could reach and she felt him tense under her lips. He was like an unyielding barrier of muscle, strong enough to hold her almost aloft with little to no effort. The pressure built more and more, her cries matching his thrusts of his tongue and his member.

Then, suddenly, he pulled out completely making Rin whimper in desperation so close to her climax, before he plunged back in to her, hitting the earlier mentioned spot with the tip of his member perfectly. That was all it took. Rin felt colors like blinding fireworks explode behind her eyes and her whole body seized as she screamed out in pleasure. He thrust twice more, hitting it both times, making Rin feel she would break or go mad, then she felt a reverberation through his body and his member inside of her.

He bit down onto her shoulder as he came, an animal-like roar echoing in his throat, and she felt his fangs pierce through her flesh. It didn't hurt, or at least her body didn't register any pain as she rode the waves of pleasure from her orgasm. He stayed inside of her as her walls squeezed him, and as she felt the orgasm ebb away, an exhaustion she had not expected settling over her in a warm haze. Her tensed muscles melted and her body was limp and loose. She felt like a piddle of liquid heat.

He pulled out of her slowly, making her shudder, placing her down on her side back onto the bed, then laid next to her and pulled her to his chest holding her tightly. Rin had left her bound hands above her head, having forgotten they were there, and Sesshomaru noticed this and chuckled. His eyes were back to molten gold, his face mortal once more. "Give me your hands, Rin." Panting, exhausted, Rin dropped her wrists heavily into his open hands. He deftly untied the knot, tossing the blue tie off of the side of the bed in the general direction of his long-lost shirt. She never wanted him to get dressed ever again. He pulled the rumpled sheet from under her and wrapped it around her small, shivering still-naked form, then pulled her back into his arms.

He rested his chin on the top of her head as she snuggled into his perfect body. "Sleep now little Rin." he whispered into her hair, and she heard him inhale deeply, assumedly smelling her freshly-washed hair. The last thought she had before her eyes drifted closed, was that she owed Sango and Kagome for their shopping and advice. Apparently she had been pleasing enough to him, and she had a kindling feeling that she had not felt this safe and comfortable since her parents had passed. Then she drifted asleep, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, much softer and slower than a human.

* * *

END OF NC-17 CONTENT!

(I can't guarantee there won't be mentions of previous content, but nothing _too _descriptive ^^)

* * *

Rin woke slowly the next morning her eyes fluttering open. The last time she had woken in a strange place it had taken her a few moments to remember where she was and why. This time, she knew instantly. She was in Sesshomaru Inutaisho's flat, and the night previous he had made love to her. She stretched sideways in the bed like a cat and realized it was empty, aside from herself. She frowned slightly, wondering where he had gone. After his explanation of not having "normal" relationships and what that meant fully, she supposed waking up next to the person you had sex with might not fit in with him. Something in her stung at his absence however.

She sat up finally, and gazed around the room. She hadn't been able to see much of his room last night, as he had never turned the lights on and, well, she _was_ a bit distracted. A flash of him straddling her naked popped into her mind and she flushed before shaking her head to clear it. The room around her was as impersonal as the hotel room. In fact if she didn't already know better she would've thought this was yet another temporary living arrangement for him. The curtains were closed, but she could tell it was sunny outside from the windows beyond. The sheet was still wrapped around her and she was still naked. The door to the room was half-open, and she tried to peek down the hallway, but didn't see him anywhere.

There was a mirror over the long bureau, and keeping the sheet secure around her breasts, she rose from the bed to take a look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was tousled and her curls were chaotic. Her lips were a bit swollen from his nips the night previous, and she noticed for the first time the mark on her shoulder. There was a clear formation of his top and bottom row of fangs, and blood dotted the punctured area. She hadn't even noticed it hurting, but now that she looked at it she did feel a slight bruising around the area. It had even bled, and she hadn't noticed that in her pleasure fugue either. She gingerly touched the mark, hissing when it stung at her touch. '_Dog demon equivalent of a hickey?_' She wondered musing. It would definitely scar. It didn't feel unnerving to her, having a permanent mark of their night together, and she wasn't sure if it should.

Aside from the bite, her crazy hair, and her slightly-swollen lips, she looked the same. '_I don't know what I was expecting…_' she thought, shaking her head at herself. They still had a lot to discuss however, and despite their recent intimacy she didn't feel like searching through his apartment wrapped only in a sheet. Suddenly a mischievous idea popped into her head. She carefully, checking that the hallway was empty, began opening the drawers in his bureau. The second one down on the right had what she was looking for. Meticulously folded button up dress shirts, sorted by color. He was clearly a man of order, which gave her a bit more insight now that she knew what she knew. She dropped the sheet back on the bed and slipped into a white long-sleeved shirt, one she knew she had seen him wearing before, buttoning it from the bottom up. As an after-thought, she left the last two open to display her cleavage a bit. The shirt smelled like him, and she took a moment to inhale it deeply, a little surprised at the swell of pure emotion it brought onto her.

She remembered last night again the moment just before she had fallen asleep. He had sniffed her in a similar way, and she felt a tingle in her stomach at this. Did he like her smell? She knew dog demons were known for their overly-acute sense of smell, so was there some kind of meaning behind his action? Like the bite? There was a lot to process beyond the dog demon traditions, so she would file those questions away for later.

She left the room, slipping through the door without opening it any farther. She made her way down the spiral staircase to the first floor. She eyed the Playroom as she passed it warily. On the bottom floor she saw him immediately, seated at the table with his laptop out, his eyes scanning the screen. His eyes flicked to her as she turned the corner around the staircase. They swept down her form, taking in her attire and she saw a bit of amusement at her choice.

"I was going to come back up to be there when you woke, I must have gotten distracted by work. How did you sleep?" As he spoke, his deep rumbling voice brought back the night previous to her mind instantly, and she felt her whole body blush despite her best effort to act casual. "Yes, I did. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed this for now." she grinned at him as she saw his eyes fall to her legs and the short length of the shirt on her. It barely covered her behind, resting just at the bottom of her thighs. "You know you wear that much better than I do." "I agree." Rin giggled, and sat down at the table. "Are you hungry? I can have some food sent up." He closed his laptop as he asked this, clearly giving her his undivided attention. She felt a shiver down her back at his intense gaze. "Yeah, I could eat. You know, I'm a pretty good cook, I could cook us something."

He gave her a small smile. "I would love to have you cook for me sometime, but I do not keep any food here." Rin cocked her head curiously. Then she realized. "Oh! Of course! Demons don't need to eat, right?" He gave her another smile, but this one seemed almost remorseful. "No. It is not required for us to survive. However, I do still have working taste buds, and eating something my submissive has made for me would be sinful, I'm sure." His eyes flashed, the predator on the prowl once more, and Rin felt her face and body heating again. This was a whole new level of reaction to him. "I haven't agreed yet, you know." Rin snapped, and she toyed with the buttons on the cuff of the now-rumpled shirt. She knew she was upset with her lack of control around him as opposed to his insistence on her agreeing. The long-sleeves draped over her hands, as he was much taller than her. "You are considering though?" She cursed to herself at his acuity.

"Maybe." she huffed, turning her head away from him, her chin set stubbornly. "Well, I will order us some breakfast and ask that the house is stocked so that next time you can cook for us." Rin glanced back to him then nodded her approval, letting the "next time" go, unsure if she was excited or reluctant that he had said it. "And, after you've eaten, we can talk more about our possible arrangement." Rin met his eyes this time, and she could see he had become grave again. "Okay." Rin agreed, her voice soft.

He nodded, then stood and pulled his phone from the pocket of his slacks and typed quickly with one hand. He slid it back a moment later and moved down to where she was sitting. "Come, let's go sit in the living room, it's a bit more comfortable there." He held his hand out to her, and Rin took it, letting him lead her into the living room and onto the spacious couch.

...

Almost an hour later, Rin closed the take-out container and placed it on the coffee table. "Sorry I ate so fast, I guess I was starving." she wiped her mouth with her napkin as she apologized, then placed it on top of the container. She had actually been a bit cautious initially, feeling odd being uncouth in front of him, but after her noises and reactions last night, it hardly seemed to matter and she had tucked in with abandon. "It's fine. That sort of activity tends to ripen one's appetite." Rin froze as he said this, a small smirk on his lips. "Um...yes, well, I have heard that I guess…" There was silence for a moment, and Rin pulled her knees up to her chest on the plush couch and rested her chin on them.

"I always thought the first person I would sleep with would be someone I was at least _dating_…" She trailed off, not even sure what her point was really. "Your friend really hasn't mentioned anything?" he asked, one eyebrow cocked, his tone curious. Rin felt anger rush through her. "No, and I'm damn well sick of secrets! You told me you would come clean with me, tell me everything!" He was watching her outburst with a calm look, and it only upset her more. "Yes, I did. I told you most of everything the other night, but I cannot tell you more until you agree to enter into the contract with me." "Why did you make love to me?" Rin spat it out before she could really think about it. Seems she was full of these impulses recently.

He was still watching her, and his face had become cold. "I don't '_make love_' Rin, I have sex." He held up his hand as her mouth opened on instinctual anger. "But last night was not normal for me. The bite I placed on your shoulder, it's something I've never done with any other women before. I have never made love because the concept is odd to me, foreign. I have only known relationships in how I described to you. I owe you the respect of making your first time...special. I had never considered that you had not been with anyone before now. I am of course delighted that I had the honor of being with you first, and, if you agree, I will see to it I am the only man to lie with you _ever_." His statement ended in a low growl, and she could hear the possession in his voice, along with the enunciation of the word "ever". "You can't just...be my boyfriend? Go on dates, fall in love?" She saw a twinge in his face when she said that then his eyes hardened. "No Rin. That is just not how I do things."

Rin sighed and lowered her knees back to the floor leaning back against the back of the couch. She thought over her next words for a moment, then spoke her voice tired. "Okay. So what's the next step then?" She could've sworn she saw relief sweep over his face, but it happened so fast she couldn't be certain. "Well next we would review the contract and discuss how to best meet your terms and mine." "I don't have any terms, that's more your thing remember?" He gave her a strict look that made her smile. "I may as well talk back while I can, hm?" She saw his eyebrow curve upwards again, but he did not look pleased. "You will pay for that later little Rin." Rin wasn't sure if she should giggle or shoot another comment to incite him. His use of the nickname he had used last night had rattled her a bit.

He continued despite her. "I already have something written up, we can review it together or separately, whatever you would prefer." He paused for a moment and his eyes skimmed down her again. "I do have to say even though you look delicious with just my clothes on, we should probably get you something else to wear, seeing as how your outfit from last night is no longer…" "Intact?" Rin provided. "Yes. If you come with me upstairs, I can also show you the wardrobe I picked out for you for when you stay here." He stood swiftly, and Rin followed, calling after him: "I still haven't agreed yet!"

...

She followed him upstairs, and this time he opened the door to the first room and walked inside. There was a walk-in closet on the far wall, and he made his way there, flicking the light on. "I hope it's not all fishnets and leather." Rin quipped. He turned back to look at her, and there was mirth in his expression. At least he was willing to joke a bit, not always so serious. "No. You will pick out those sort of outfits yourself. These are all recent labels, I tried to match your style when you're not in school. Please, feel free to clean yourself up-" he swept an arm towards the large bathroom she hadn't noticed last night on the tour "-and come downstairs when you're done." Without another word he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Rin sighed, and decided to look in the closet first. There was a dresser at the end of the bed as well. The walls of the closet were lined with garments of all kinds. There were skirts, shirts, dresses, whole outfits stacked on hangers, and not a single item cost less than a few hundred. All designer, all in her exact size. And most of it fit her style, he had gotten that right. Bright colors, ones she normally chose, flowing fits and bright flowery patterns. Every item was beautiful. She checked the dresser next and found each large drawer assigned to a type of clothing. The top one had socks, all very fine and softer than silk. The next down was undergarments, one drawer for bras the other for underwear, and all were actually rather tasteful. For some reason the thought of Sesshomaru attempting to purchase woman's underwear made her giggle, as she checked the next drawer. Pajamas. Two drawers for those as well, shirts and pants of varying length and color, all soft and comfortable.

She sighed and chose to look at the bathroom next. It was complete with any beauty product she could ever desire, hair and make-up, and all the more expensive than she had ever bought herself. There was a glass shower-cubicle and a jacuzzi tub. The rug under her feet was plush and soft, and a mirror ran the length of the bath with a counter lined with products and a large sink. She opened the shower and saw a shelf lined with shampoo and conditioner, all different brands. She remembered how he had smelled her hair and wondered vaguely if he had picked scents he liked. She turned the water on, and took off the shirt, letting it fall to the marble floor.

...

After her shower she picked out a pair of slim jeans and a flower-print shirt that brought out the hazel of her eyes. She combed her hair, but avoided most of the products and make-up. She didn't normally wear much anyways, but she felt it would be best to be as relaxed as she could. Her shoulder ached slightly as she hooked one of the bras he had given her behind her back. She had taken a closer look in the shower, and it seemed to have closed completely. She wasn't sure how a wound that deep could heal so quickly, but it seemed to have done so at an alarming rate. It still felt bruised though, so she gingerly lathered it with some of the lilac bar soap.

As a last thought after she dressed, she folded his shirt and placed it on the bed. It was only slightly smaller than his, but just as plush. She wasn't sure if the control freak would let her, but she wanted to keep his shirt. It brought back a smidge of the comfort she had felt wrapped in his arms last night. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and made her way back downstairs to begin negotiating her relationship.

...

Rin closed her door to her apartment and leaned against the door behind her. She felt exhausted mentally, and her body was aching slightly. She slipped off her heels from the night previous and rubbed her feet gratefully. She forgot how much she hated wearing heels, despite how nice they made her legs look. She was still wearing the clothes he had provided for her, and she needed to get into something more comfortable immediately. Something that was hers.

After she had changed into her favorite pair of sweats and a loose-fitting university shirt she had washed enough times that it was dotted with spots of bleach, she folded his clothes and tucked them in her bottom drawer of her dresser. Everything in her apartment seemed so small and quaint now after staying in Sesshomaru's penthouse for a night. Of course it was hers, all hers, and no one could take it from her. Well, besides her landlord if she didn't pay her rent, but that didn't matter.

She made her way back into her kitchen from her room and began her tea kettle and pulled out her worn rice-cooker. She would cook herself a nice dinner, relax, and watch something online. As she leaned against her small counter waiting for the rice cooker to heat and her tea to boil, her mind inadvertently moved back to Sesshomaru, despite her determination to not reminisce on her current situation at all.

...

When she had met him downstairs, he had procured two tablets from somewhere (yet another sign of his innumerable wealth) and had them both lying on the long table. She had sat, her face pale. "Feeling better?" he had asked formally, and she had nodded quickly. "Yes, that shower is wonderful." He had nodded, accepting her answer then motioned to the tablet. "From now on that will be yours. On it is a copy of the initial contract. We can review it together now, or you can look it over at your leisure." "You're giving me this?! This is like a thousand dollar tablet, I don't even think this model is out yet!" Rin felt her heart thumping as she had flipped it over and checked it from top to bottom. "Yes, well, there's some perks to my position." "Clearly." she responded, disdain in her voice. She saw this elicit another smirk from him and he motioned for her to take a look.

Rin felt her hands shaking as she turned the tablet on. There was a text document on the home screen labeled "Contract". She assumed he hadn't wasted much on the title. "Would you like to review this now, or later?" Rin took a deep breath, preparing her answer. "Honestly...I need to think on this a bit. I think it would be best if I headed home and reviewed it on my own time. There's _a lot_ to process here and I want to make sure my head is clear when I make my decision." She finished her speech and waited for his response.

His eyes were fixated on her, his elbows resting on the table, his fingers intertwined and resting on his lips, blocking the lower portion of his face from her view. She was again struck by how large his hands were. She remembered what his fingers could do from the night previous, but pushed it away by shaking her head slightly. His eyes were boring into her, and she tried to keep his gaze without shivering. He was silent for a moment, then he lowered his hands from his mouth and spoke, his voice deep: "You want to leave to think it over? When?" His question threw her, and her voice was shaky as she responded. "Um, well, now I figured?" She didn't quite understand his question. "When will you have your answer?" She blinked quickly. He didn't look angry, but there was a sharp note to his voice and the planes of his face that unsettled her slightly. '_Does he not want me to leave?_' "Yes, now. I have some school work to get done, and I'd like to look over this alone."

There was silence for a few moments, and Rin found herself holding her breath. Finally he responded. "All right. I will take you back to your apartment, just make sure you keep the tablet and your phone on you at all times." He stood, pushing his chair in and moving into the kitchen, scooping up a pair of keys off of the counter. "Um...okay. I just have to grab my things real quick." His back was to her, but she saw his head incline in a small nod. She stood, feeling odd at his indifferent and somewhat passive aggressive response, and went back upstairs.

Her clutch from the night previous was on the dresser in the room along with her heels, and she found a purse rack in the back of the closet with some larger designer bags. She picked the largest, most plain one she could find and put her clutch and his shirt in it. Everything she was currently wearing probably cost more than Kaede had ever made in a year working as an ER nurse. It made her feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable, and she felt the need to peel all of it off of her immediately. Instead she shouldered the tan bag, slipped into her heels, and went back downstairs.

He was waiting for her, leaning casually against the table. "Have everything?" he asked, and he still looked cold and distant. She was reminded of before she knew everything she knew now, when his moods seemed to swing from one extreme to another. This, however, instead of enamored to disinterested was uncaring to almost spiteful. Rin nodded, and followed him as he half-stalked to the door. He pushed the button for the elevator and let her enter first.

The car ride had been equally silent and cold. The sound of his car's radio was the only noise, the sounds of the busy city seeming to die just outside of his tinted windows. Rin tried to not be offended by his sudden change and instead watched the people and the streets as they whizzed by. They were only about a half hour from her neighborhood, and when they turned onto her street, she found herself clenching her fists together nervously. He pulled up to the curb and got out, coming around to open her door for her. She took his offered hand, snagging the bag on her way out. He closed the door, and left the car idling as he walked with her to her door.

She rummaged around for her keys, finally finding them still inside the clutch. He waited patiently next to her as she found her keys and pulled them out. She looked up to him, needing to almost crane her head upwards to see him. He was so tall! "I'll let you know once I've looked it over." she supplied. He was looking down on her, his eyes glittering in the sun and they momentarily looked like flickering flames. She hadn't noticed that before. "I'll speak to you soon." she added, turning away before her nerve left her and she threw herself into his arms.

He grabbed her arm as she turned away and turned her back to him. "Why do I feel like you're leaving me?" His voice was full of emotion, a complete switch from how he had been during the car ride. "Because I am? I'm just going home, I'm not leaving forever." She wasn't sure how to respond. He seemed like an open wound somehow. She wanted to comfort him, but she really didn't know how. She took a step towards him, a hair's breadth of distance between their bodies, and stood on the tips of her toes, planting a quick kiss on his lips. She pulled away before he could respond to her kiss, turned away quickly, and thrust her key into the lock. "I'll talk to you soon!" she called, not looking at him as she let the door close behind her and quickly opened the second security door making her way into the cool interior.

...

The tablet was still nestled in the bag she had taken, along with his shirt. As the kettle began whistling she pulled it off and grabbed a tea bag and her favorite mug, pouring the water into it and dipping the tea bag in. letting it rest on the side of the mug she began to cook, distracting herself for at least a half hour. When she was done, she sat on her beat-up couch with her laptop and pulled up her favorite streaming service, attempting to catch up on some shows she hadn't been able to watch in the past few weeks. Halfway through her chicken and rice, the notification for her email 'dinged' and she frowned when she saw who it was from. Sesshomaru. Frowning, she minimized her show and pulled up the email.

_Rin - _

_Let me know once you've read the contract. We can arrange a time to meet to discuss the details._

_PS - I hope you plan on getting enough sleep tonight. I'll need you rested for what I have planned when I see you next._

Rin read his email at least five times before she closed the window and pulled her show back up. She finished her rice bowl then sat back on her couch, thinking. After a few minutes she decided to check her phone. She realized she hadn't even looked at it since before she had left last night, and she assumed at least Sango and Kagome would be curious about her. She found her phone, still in the purse in her room, and turned it back on. She had turned it off in the car on the way to Sesshomaru's place. She didn't want her helpful, yet possibly co-dependent, friends interrupting her time with him. Her phone flashed as it turned on, and instantly vibrated for a straight minute with unread messages and three missed calls.

Rin frowned and checked the texts first. A mixture from Sango and Kagome, with one each from Shippo, Miroku, and Kohaku. Sango's were mostly lewd slightly-pornographic pictures with winking smiley faces, ending with her inquiring as to how it had gone sometime this morning. Miroku, Shippo and Kohaku's texts were simple, just asking after her and how "_her big date_" had gone. She frowned, realizing that her secret was out before she even had the opportunity to decide it _was_ a secret. She never should have told Sango anything, she clearly blabbed to everyone. Kagome's messages however, started by simply wishing her luck (just after she had turned her phone off), then later in the night asking if she was okay, and finally three today all increasingly more nervous and demanding as to how she was doing. '_I really need to establish some boundaries…_' Rin lamented. She decided a phone call would be the best way to handle this, and quickly pulled up Kagome's number.

She had no idea what she was going to say, but as soon as she heard the ringing on the other end the thought of getting in touch with someone who was (mildly) normal brought her an immense sense of relief. "Rin? Oh my goodness, I swear I was just about to report you missing, where the hell have you been?!" Kagome's frantic voice answered, and Rin cringed at the panic in her voice. Maybe not so normal. "Take a deep breath 'Gome, I'm fine." "Where have you been then? Your phone was off all night and this morning, I thought that freak had abducted you or something!" "No, I just spent the night at his place, I turned off my phone so you and Sango wouldn't blow me up all night, which apparently had the opposite effect…" "Yeah, well, we were worried about you, and rightly so, he's a demon who - wait...did you say you spent the night at _his_ place?" Rin sighed, trying not to laugh at her friend's priorities.

"Yes, I spent the night, I only got home a few hours ago-" "Okay, hang on, I'm coming over, I need to hear what happened!" Rin heard a jostling and Kagome crying out in anger before Sango's sweet voice came on the line. "Rin, holy crap, you spent the night! Damn girl, achievement unlocked! I'm coming too, I bet he's a freak in bed and I want to hear all about it." Rin was speechless as Kagome clearly wrestled the phone back from Sango by the torrent of yelps and rustling. "Oh Rin, I'm sorry she came over because she knew how worried I was and-" "I'm driving!" came Sango's yell from the background and Rin heard Kagome exhaled heavily. "We'll be there soon, bye Rin." And she hung up. Rin stared at her blank screen trying to register what had just happened. Yeah, she really needed boundaries.

...

Kagome and Sango had swept through her apartment like a whirlwind when they arrived. Sango gave her a swift hug and kissed both her cheeks then fell onto her couch, demanding sustenance. Kagome wrapped her in a tight motherly hug and began questioning her rapidly without waiting for answers. It took Rin nearly ten minutes to calm her down, and after providing Sango with a bowl of her chicken rice dish and Kagome a cup of tea, Kagome turned worried eyes on her and asked: "So, did you find out what he was keeping from you?"

Rin bit her lip, seated on the couch next to Kagome, hands wrapped around her newly-poured mug of tea. "In a way, yeah I did." Kagome's eyebrows rose, and Rin knew she could sense her reluctance. "Let me guess!" Sango called out, raising her hand. "He's actually an assassin." Rin chuckled and shook her head no. sometimes Sango really helped with Kagome's intensity and stubbornness. She trusted Kagome, but she didn't feel his secret was one she should share. At least not until she understood all of it a bit better.

"Well I could spend all night guessing, so how about you tell us how great the sex was instead?" Sango wiggled her eyebrows from across the coffee table where she had put herself on the carpet, the rice bowl pulled close. Rin felt the color explode into her face as Kagome gasped. "Sango! That's so rude, it's none of our business." she chided. She cast her eyes over to Rin. "Of course, if Rin chose to tell us if there was "doggy demon magic" involved and she slept with him that's her choice." Kagome was clearly trying to wheedled her down as she took a sip from her tea looking mischievous and suggestive. Rin knew she was red from her forehead to the tips of her toes. "Yes." she mumbled, almost a whisper.

There was silence for a split second and then an eruption of noise from both girls. Sango launched herself at Rin hugging her hard, and at the same time Kagome threw her arms around her, both women shouting congratulations. Rin squeaked as she was buried under both of them. "I - can't - breathe!" she gasped and they released her, all laughing. It took a few moments for the mirth to die down, but once it had Kagome took Rin's hands and looked into her eyes, hers misty. "Oh Rin, I'm so happy for you! Do you love him?" Rin bit her lip, and Sango snorted. "What does love have to do with it?" she tossed out casually, returning to her rice bowl. Kagome shot her a glare then looked back to Rin.

"I-I mean, I'm not sure. It ended on a kind of weird note but...I've never thought or felt this way about anyone, it's kind of all new to me." "In more ways than one." Sango shot, eyebrows raised dubiously. Rin gave her the glare this time, then looked back to Kagome. "I think I do 'Gome, but I'm so scared of what that might mean…" Kagome patted the back of her hands with one of her own. "It's okay Rin, being scared is natural. Just don't think about it so much. The trick is just going with the flow." "Mmm, yeah, the whole thing with relationships is to just kind of let it happen. Relax as much as you can now, while it's new, because soon it'll become a buut-load of work." Sango supplied, shaking her head, shoving a forkful of rice into her mouth.

Rin worried her lip again, listening as Kagome and Sango fed her bits of advice. Occasionally they completely contradicted each other, which would make Rin smile as they turned on each other to argue their individual points. At least she was getting both ends of the spectrum here. She was sure most of it would have been incredibly useful, for a "normal" relationship. What could develop with Sesshomaru was something completely different than what Kagome and Sango were describing. She accepted their advice though, doing her best to look grateful and interested, all the while thinking about the tablet in the bag in her room.

By the time Sango had finished her meal they seemed to have puttered out for the most part, and the three of them dissolved into conversation about what was going on in their lives currently, to Rin's relief. Kagome and Inuyasha were still great, and the firm Kagome was working with part-time had actually offered her a permanent position, finally. Sango and Miroku were back together, and Sango was still working at the non-profit organization as an event and finance organizer. Miroku had received a new contract for a building downtown, and Inuyasha was apparently falling behind in his studies. Apparently he had been to school multiple times over the years, all for different things, to no avail. Rin knew for a fact that the family had money to burn, and Inuyasha struck her as determined, but with an attention span a quarter as powerful. By the time the other two had vented everything they had, the sun had set and darkness had settled in.

Kagome had turned the lights on at some point, and Rin just noticed as the conversation died away. She had listened to her friends throughout, but her mind had been elsewhere throughout. She kept remembering what Sesshomaru had said, hinting that Kagome might know something, something that could further explain his attraction to her. She watched Kagome through the conversation; she didn't seem to be acting abnormally at all. Could Inuyasha be the same as Sesshomaru? Was Kagome Inuyasha's...submissive? She knew she would never admit anything in front of Sango, and Rin had to be careful, still wishing to keep most of his secrets to herself.

She would need to discuss things delicately with Kagome, see what she knew, but later. On Monday they had their usual lunch and labs together, she would ask her then. And tomorrow...she would review the contract. At the very least she could read it. She remembered the hint of desperation in Sesshomaru's voice when he had dropped her off and a pang shot into her heart. Maybe Kagome could give her more insight, maybe she had the answer. Until then...she would weigh her options.

...

She had waited to check her phone again, and had left the tablet in the bag until mid-afternoon Sunday. When she did check it Kagome had texted her to check in, and Rin had shot her back a confirmation she was okay, and that she wanted to meet up for lunch Monday, that she had something she wanted to talk about with her. There was also another email. From Sesshomaru.

_Rin - _

_Once you've read the contract over, I would recommend doing some research. Searching online should provide a wealth of information on what we've discussed so far._

_PS: Your lack of response is causing my imagination to run wild again. This time, however, I have the lovely mental images of you writhing beneath me. _

Rin sighed upon reading the email, feeling a twinge of anger that he was clearly pushing her to respond. Possessive control-freak at work. She did find comfort in the fact that he was giving her advice. At least he was aware of her lack of knowledge in this entire area. She resisted answering him again, and finally removed the tablet from the bag. She took his shirt out as well, and laid it at the end of her bed while she powered up the tablet. He had provided her with the packaging and a charger for it so she plugged it in to charge it while she pulled up the default browser. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of what to search. Huffing in frustration, she grabbed her phone again and typed out a message:

_Sesshomaru - _

_I haven't looked at it yet, I want to make sure I have time and patience for it. Most likely will now though. What should I search for exactly?_

She hit send, and it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds before he answered her back:

_Rin - _

_I would suggest a few keywords like: "Submissive" "Dominant" "Bondage" and "Dom and Sub Play or Scenes". Those should get you some results. Let me know what you find, or if you have any questions._

Rin repeated the words out loud to herself, trying to familiarize her tongue with the new language. She had definitely heard of bondage, but she had never known anyone who participated in such things. Or at least not that they spoke of openly. Although, she supposed, it had also never come up in conversation and she couldn't think of why anyone would bring it up themselves. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, she began searching. She took her time, making her way through blogs, chats, and online communities. It was not uncommon in practice, and apparently there was a whole culture that revolved around dominants and submissives. She took a good hour to read as much information as she could. Almost to the minute of that hour, the tablet lit up with a new email from none other than Sesshomaru.

_Rin - _

_Found anything interesting?_

Rin waited a few minutes before responding.

_Sesshomaru - _

_A few things. Still researching. Some of this looks...interesting._

She wasn't surprised that he answered almost immediately.

_Rin - _

_Like what?_

_PS: Tying your wrists with my tie would count as "light bondage" _

Rin shivered upon remembering the feeling of being sprawled before him and having her hands bound. There were whole websites dedicated to the art of bondage, and it ranged from what he had described and done with his tie ("light" bondage) to whole suits that the submissive could wear to be restrained. Most of the sites she found did a concise job of accurately describing the different stages of bondage, and the reasoning behind the attraction to each stage. It seemed reasonable, to be honest, and Rin found herself emphasizing with the majority of what was described. Some things did not quite appeal to her, but she definitely liked the sound of most of it.

_Sesshomaru -_

_That certainly was a naughty tie. I wouldn't mind more of that tie, and maybe more restraint. I'm a bit surprised at how popular this is_

As she scanned the internet and discovered more about the lifestyle, she could see that some dominant's did, in fact, outline the parameters of what they could do to the submissive. In fact, a lot of the whole idea around submissive and dominant relationships is that boundaries were incredibly important. Rin liked the sound of that. It kind of made her feel like if she were to consider becoming Sesshomaru's submissive, she would have at least some control. But there were some fallbacks too. It felt like something like this - a relationship based only on rules and do's and don'ts - there could be a real lack of intimacy. It seemed like the boundaries served more like walls that would keep the two separated more than anything. Her tablet went off again with his answer:

_Rin - _

_There is a whole section in the contract outlining restraint, you'll want to look closely at that section. Try looking up "Erotic Spanking" next. Another favorite of mine._

_PS: I'm wearing that tie right now. I may never take it off, it misses your delicate wrists._

Rin shivered at that, and tried his next search recommendation. This one yielded a wide variety of results and degrees of intensities. Down the rabbit-hole into erotic pain. Some of the things she found there made her cringe. She wondered how severe his need to inflict pain on her was. Some things seemed interesting, sensual. Some were just nauseating. She shook her head and finally closed all of the tabs related to the topic. She eyed the document so simply labeled "Contract" warily, and reopened her email. She typed her response quickly.

_Sesshomaru - _

_That one seemed to give some alarming results. Apparently I'll need to develop a pain tolerance if I agree to this. _

She chewed the nail on her pointer finger anxiously as she waited for his response. It didn't take long.

_Rin - _

_All of my preferences are outlined in the contract. Pain is a part of this, but on your terms. There is a whole section on spanking as well. Speaking of, have you read the contract yet?_

_PS: Although I would love to paddle you until you screamed for mercy, spanking could be reserved for when you misbehave, if you'd like. With that smart mouth of yours I can see needing to spank you often_

Rin smiled slightly at his response, another unbidden shiver at his intensity. There seemed to be no option other than to read the contract. She would need to understand what he wanted from her in order to know if she would accept it or not. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Rin opened the contract and finally began reading.

* * *

AN2: There we go! Oh man, FINALLY some action yeah? Kind of just going to be that from now on. I have about half of the next chapter written right now, but that means so little because I torture myself with editing for months sometimes...not sure why, it's just fluffy porn, but idk Unrelenting Standards aha. THANK YOU TO ALL YOU REVIEWERS/FOLLOWERS/FAVORITES! You guys make the struggle and all the work of writing my stories just SO worth it. So much love! Also, if you've made it this far just reading and doing none of those things listed above, there's love for you too! Thanks for reading! For this chapter thanks also go to that Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, because it kept me from crying over poorly constructed sentences with too many commas. It's a GREAT comedy about the struggle of females in the US, DEFINITELY watch it if you can, it's comedy perfection. I want to lick their writers' feet. And I'm not even into feet. Also, theme song is catchy as fuck.

Also, for T-Bone, as always, my love

XOXO

Scatterkitteh


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